The Forgotten Rider
by Ten-Faced Paladin
Summary: A Kamen Rider BladeNaruto story inspired by works of Dark Magician 41. Watch how the power of the Undead and the powers of chakra and Biju combine. An understanding of Kamen Rider Blade is necessary to understand aspects of this fic.
1. Chapter 1

I do not own Naruto or Kamen Rider Blade. Those belong to their respecting creators and not me. I am writing this because I was bored and the idea wouldn't leave my head. Frankly, this came to me after reading Dark Magician 41's story The Accidental Rider. A good read in my opinion. Anyway, enjoy my rendition of a Naruto/Kamen Rider crossover.

The Forgotten Rider

By Ten-Faced Paladin

Chapter 1: Ninjas, Riders, and Undead. Oh my!

Kyle Jones yawned in boredom as his professor continued talking about the current subject. It wasn't as if the subject itself was boring, but the way the professor was talking about it was making it boring. Kyle figured that literature was an interesting subject, but the professor was ruining it.

'_I would rather be watching Kamen Rider or reading Naruto or something,_' Kyle sighed inwardly.

The eighteen-year old made it no secret that he was an anime fan. The weird thing was that he didn't really look like one. He looked more like the average guy. He had dirty blonde hair and blue eyes which got him to cosplay as Naruto during several conventions he visited. He had an average build which border lined on athletic and he wore clothes that were reasonably fashionable, not like the stereotypical otaku would wear. Since he didn't look like an otaku, people could actually talk to him for several minutes before they figured out that he was a geek.

Kyle snapped back to the world as the professor wrapped up his lecture for the day. He silently thanked God as he grabbed his supplies and books before running for the exit. Some of the students stayed behind to ask the professor some questions, but the blonde otaku was out the door like a shot. He didn't like staying in class longer than he had to. There was a lot more things that he could do with his time that he would rather do. One of those things would be watching his favorite tokusatsu series, Kamen Rider Blade.

He wasn't sure why he liked it so much. Maybe it was the card-based battle system that the Riders used to fight the Undead. He thought of it as pretty cool. Of course, the battles were pretty cool too.

Kyle slumped back into his dorm room while putting his things on the unoccupied bed that came with the room. There were two, but Kyle lucked out since he wasn't given a room mate. Sitting down on the bed that he was using, he fished out his laptop and began looking to his usual sites where the Kamen Rider television show was made available to people in North America and other countries.

"Another day, another bore," Kyle sighed as he watched the opening for Kamen Rider Blade pop up.

--------------------------------------------------**Naruto Universe**---------------------------------------------

Orochimaru was busy in his laboratory working on numerous jutsus that he wanted to use in his quest to destroy his former village of _Konohagakure_, (Hidden Leaf). His lab was situated in the new ninja vilage, _Otogakure_ (Hidden Sound).

His current project, since having completed his immortality jutsu, was to try and create jutsus based off the abilities of the Shodaime, Nidaime, and Yondaime Hokagaes of Konoha. The Shodaime's jutsus were a result of his _Mokuton_ (Wood Release) bloodline ability. He would need human subjects if he wanted to try and replicate that. The Nidaime was a master of _Suiton_ (Water Release) jutsus. Those could be perfected at a later time. No, what he was currently working on was the Yondaime's personal jutsus. Namely, the _Rasengan_ and the _Hiraishin no Jutsu_ (Flying Thunder God Technique). His former teammate Jiraiya knew the _Rasengan_, but there was no way the Snake Sannin was going to get it from him. Not while the Toad Sannin was still loyal to Konoha. At the moment, he was trying to recreate the _Hiraishin no Jutsu_.

Orochimaru had been experimenting with seals similar to what he believed the Yondaime used to help use the technique. While he had witnessed the use of the technique, he hadn't been able to memorize the exact composition of the seal, but that was what experimentation was for. So far, he had managed to reduce the risk of getting shredded by the speed. He had lost a few test subjects to small errors, but he managed to work through that. All that was left to do was get the final composition and the hand seals right.

"This had better work," Orochimaru growled as he began flying through hand seals he thought might be the right. "_Hiraishin no Jutsu!_"

Orochimaru released his built up chakra he felt necessary to use the jutsu properly. The chakra connected with seal Orochimaru was flowing into the seal he had placed on the other side of the room. When the chakra connected, the seal began to pulse. Orochimaru could tell that something was going wrong already. Tensing his muscles in preparation to get away, he watched the reactions of the seal. What was the point in experimenting if you didn't stick around to see the results?

The seal turned a deep purple as it continued to pulse. It was actually growing. As it did, the pulse was growing faster. The Snake Sannin backed away further as he watched the seal start reaching critical mass. The seal grew to the size of a doorway before energy began crackling across the lines. The crackling energy became more rampant before the entire seal erupted in bright violet light which threatened to engulf the entire room. Although Orochimaru couldn't hear an explosion, he sure felt the impact that through him several feet before he hit the wall behind him.

All through the elemental countries, the shockwave could be felt on varying levels. Through the mists of _Kirigakure_ (Hidden Mist) the air currents actually caused several places shrouded in mist to become clear for awhile. In _Sunagakure_ (Hidden Sand) the youngest of the Sand Siblings felt the pulse and his beast within growled, feeling some unease with the feeling in the air. All the way in _Iwagakure_ (Hidden Stone) several mountains began to shake and rumble, threatening landslides. In _Kumogakure_ (Hidden Cloud) lightning and thunder crashed wildly for a while as the wave passed thought their territory. Finally, in _Konohagakure_, the resident prankster shivered in his sleep as the Kyuubi within him felt the wave and became suspicious.

------------------------------------------------**KR Blade Universe**--------------------------------------------

Deep within the confines of a brand new BOARD building, the 53 Rouze Cards which held the Undead within them, and the three buckles which can be used by the three men known as Kamen Riders were sealed inside a dark vault. No one who knew about them wanted to risk breaking the seals and releasing the Undead which were inside.

As the cards and buckles sat there collecting dust, the air around them became heated and started shimmering as violet light began invading the enclosed space. The case where the cards and buckles were held began to shake. The rumbling became more violent as the light became brighter. Soon, the light became so bright, there was no possible way for anyone to see anything without the threat of blinding oneself.

The light lasted for a few moments before it finally died down. However, something had changed. The case which held the Rouze Cards and the three buckles was now missing. Sadly, no one would even notice that they were gone until the head of operations, Tachibana, would enter the vault to ensure that the items held within were still secure.

----------------------------------------------**Kyle's Universe**---------------------------------------------------

Kyle continued to lounge, watching Kamen Rider Blade at his leisure. He knew that he could have homework to finish, but he was more content in watching the four Kamen Riders battle the Undead and Trials instead. As he was watching, he felt the temperature in the room begin to rise. He thought nothing of it for a while before he realized that his room was beginning to be filled with violet light.

"What the heck?!" Kyle cried as the light began to grow brighter and brighter. The heat was becoming unbearable and soon Kyle was struggling to get off the bed and to the front door. However, his legs were quickly becoming disobedient. He couldn't even reach the door too his room before the light became too bright for him to see anything but the violet hues.

That was when the floor gave out.

Kyle suddenly felt himself flying through what felt like space, but he could still breathe. All around him was blinding purple light. He couldn't tell up from down. All of it looked more or less the same to him as he flew through the violet space. He looked in every direction that he could, hoping that he could find something to stop his fall or even an indication to just where the heck he was. Looking over to his left, he spied something that wasn't violet light. It looked like a gray case of some kind. To Kyle it looked like a lifeline. He managed to use his weightlessness to his advantage to move himself several feet towards the case where he could get his hands around it. The metal was cool against his fingers and definitely real. Clutching the case tightly to his chest, he began to feel a burning sensation erupt not only in his body, but from the case as well. Whatever was going on, Kyle hoped that it would end soon.

When the burning sensation became almost too much to bear, Kyle passed out.

-------------------------------------**Nami no Kuni (Wave Country)**----------------------------------------

Kyle's head buzzed with pain only matched by what his eyes were feeling at the moment. He could feel grass beneath him that was slightly moist. He could feel some humidity in the air along with hearing some waves crashing in the distance. Wherever he was, he was near either a lake or the ocean. That much he could tell. Deciding that laying on the ground not knowing where he was wasn't the best idea in the world. With a small groan, he opened his eyes to see the blurry scenery and some kind of gray blob in front of him.

Kyle took a moment to wipe his eyes and get them back in focus. When the world in front of him became a little more defined, he saw that the case he had been holding onto was in front of him. It was open with some of its contents spilled onto the ground. Crawling forward, he reached to what looked like buckles and cards. Picking up a silver one, he saw that it was clear and what looked like a slot for something to slide into. The card he had picked up depicted a rhino beetle with the word change imprinted on the side with the spade symbol. Kyle instantly recognized both objects immediately.

"A Rouze Card and a Kamen Rider Belt?" he blinked in confusion. "Okay...time to wake up now Kyle. There is no way that I can have these things in my hands in the middle of some kind of forest. Not possible. I must be having a dream or something."

The young man even pinched himself a few times to try and wake himself up. Try as he might though, he wasn't finding himself in his dorm room. He was still in the middle of the forest with what seemed to be three Kamen Rider Belts and all 53 of the Rouze Cards.

Once reality settled in for Kyle, he realized that there was no way he was going to figure out where he was just by sitting in the middle of nowhere. Deciding to see how this dream panned out, Kyle put the buckles back into the case before sorting out the Rouze cards into their suits; Hearts, Clubs, Spades, and Diamonds. He made sure they were sorted properly before slipping each suit into a different pocket. As he was putting the cards in his pocket though, his hands touched a metal surface. He looked down to see what was wrapped around his waist and he found a silver belt with a gold buckle which had a red heart in the centre. There was also a line in the middle which one could slide something through.

"I have Hajime's belt too?" Kyle gaped. He then sighed tiredly. "Well, this dream is going great. I might be part Joker now. Wonderful."

Kyle didn't even try to pry the Undead metal off of him. He knew that he could will it on or off, but he wasn't sure how. Hajime did it all the time in the show, so he might learn to do it himself in due time. For the time being, it was a cool accessory. Grabbing the case, Kyle began his journey along what seemed to be a dirt road towards what he hoped would be civilization.

If anything, the scenery of his new location was nice to look at. It was peaceful and calm. Not at all like the city where he went to school. Green was everywhere and the air actually smelled a little bit cleaner than back home. No pollution was in the air and there was a measure of peace.

It was driving Kyle nuts.

For some reason, he felt tense. He was expecting something to happen, but he had absolutely no idea what. It was like he was almost craving for some action. It didn't matter if it was a fight, seeing other people, or even coming across a cavern or something. He just felt like he had to do something more adrenaline-pumping than merely walking. Still, there wasn't really anything else to do but walk. He also hoped that if anything were to happen, that his belts wouldn't fail him. The Rouze cards would definitely come in handy if things started getting tough, if he could use them properly.

Signs of civilization were strangely scarce. Kyle was beginning to wonder of he was in some kind of national park or something. The dirt path and surrounding forest was a big enough clue to hint at this.

After what felt like an eternity of walking, Kyle finally found a town. It looked okay from a distance and there was a river running through it with boats. Of course, looks can be very deceiving. When Kyle got closer to the town, he saw that a lot of it was run down and everyone looked just as poor. The few merchant stalls that were there had very little of anything to buy. Lots of people were just leaning on walls with signs advertising their willingness to do a job. The rest were either walking along or just slumped against walls, not doing anything. Of course, several of them were giving Kyle odd stares, or more accurately, his belt.

As Kyle turned a corner to get a better feel for the town, he suddenly felt something tugging at his belt. Turning quickly, he saw a dirty little kid tugging with all his might, trying to get the belt off. He looked up to see that he was busted and a fearful look came over his face. To be honest, Kyle was tempted to get mad, but after seeing the standard of living in this town, the anger died a quick death.

"If you scram now, I won't say or do anything about it," he spoke quietly so only the kid could hear.

"Really?" the kid gaped. Usually people raised a big stink when he had to steal something. Seeing Kyle nod, the kid broke into a big grin. "Thanks mister!"

The kid then ran off into an alley. Kyle shook his head sadly. What had happened to this place? There were so many people who looked like they were on the verge of starvation. The buildings looked rather nice so things couldn't have been always this bad. Perhaps they were in a depression of some kind. It would certainly explain a lot of things. Of course, it still left the question of what started it. The forest looked like it was in pretty good shape so couldn't have been any agricultural reasons. Maybe it had something to do with trade. It was hard to tell at this point.

To be honest, Kyle wasn't sure what he was going to do now that he found some civilization. It wasn't anywhere he recognized and the people definitely weren't in much shape to help him. They had enough of their own problems without having to help some new guy in town.

"First thing to do is get a map," He muttered to himself, trying to get his thoughts in order. "I can find out where I am from there. Then I can try and figure out how to get home."

He wandered the streets, trying to find some kind of map to tell him where he ended up. He suffered another attempt by a kid to steal his belt. Apparently since it was red and gold, the thought it might be worth something. As Kyle had predicted, the belt wouldn't come off. After sending the kid on his way, he continued on his own journey. So far, nothing interesting seemed to be happening, so why did he feel even more tense?

"Help!" a woman's voice cried.

Maybe that was the reason why.

Kyle dashed toward the sound of the cries, hoping that it wasn't going to be too serious. Unfortunately, the apparent situation was very serious. There was a black-haired woman who looked to be in her late twenties to early thirties. She was noticeably cleaner than the other folks around town so she might have been better off. Clutching her leg in fear was a small boy with black hair who looked terrified. The reason for their fear was the five thugs with swords that were surrounding her.

"We warmed your old man about building the bridge," the apparent leader growled. "I guess he's going to learn the price for opposing Gatoh!"

All five goons raised their blades as they started walking towards the scared woman and her son. Kyle's eyes widened when he saw that the goons were dead serious in what they were doing. They were actually going to kill this woman. For some reason, the back of his mind was telling him that he had seen the mother and child before. He could ponder it later though.

"Hey!" he called as he stepped forward, setting his case in a shadow. "What do you think you're doing?!"

"Heh," one of the thugs smirked. "Someone's trying to play hero, eh?"

"Let's show him what we think of heroes," ordered the leader.

The goons grinned and charged at Kyle with their weapons drawn. The young man's eyes widened when he realized that he was officially up the creek without a paddle. No, he was up the creek without a boat. As the closest goon finally reached him, he slashed at Kyle with the aim of taking his head off. Kyle's reflexes were thankfully sharp, which allowed him to dodge the strike. The other goons continued running at him with their blades ready to slice him apart.

"Woah!" Kyle cried as one of the wild slashes nicked his arm. It was at this time that Kyle was thankful that the thugs were too close together to make a proper swing at him for the moment. If they did then they risked cutting each other up.

"Hold still!" one of the goons cried while trying to go for a stab.

"I'm not as dumb as you look!" Kyle frowned as he tried to give himself some room.

His insult only served to get the goons angrier. This in turn made them even more determined to kill him. Kyle knew that he should be terrified for his life, but the adrenaline was pumping through his veins and helping him stay alert for attacks.

After another wide slash from the goons, Kyle took several steps back. He could feel his heart pounding away in his chest and the wound on his arm was beginning to feel numb. He had to find a way to get rid of these clowns. As he shook his arms to get some feeling into them when his hands touch some warm metal. That was when the thought hit him like a ton of bricks.

'_Wait a second,_' Kyle thought to himself. '_If I have the Joker Belt and the Rouze Cards, then I might be able to use their power!_'

With the extra space he had from the swordsmen, he reached into his right pocket and grabbed one of the Rouze Cards. As he pulled it out, he was pleased to see the image of a pink heart with a mantis inside of it. Imprinted on the side was the word 'Change' written on the side. Underneath the picture were the words, 'Change Mantis'.

"Here goes," Kyle sighed as he looked to the oncoming goons. He then slashed the card through the belt he was wearing. "Henshin."

"**Change!**" the belt called. Kyle then felt his body being engulfed in a black static-like energy which hid every detail. He then felt his body begin to shift and change. The shocked witnesses could see his body become bulkier. His shoulders took the appearance of pads and what looked like torso armor seemed to materialize on his chest. His head became angular with Two Horns coming out of the top. The energy finally faded as Kyle's new form was revealed. The armor was mainly black and gold with the designs on it. The chest had red and silver markings over with a red heart for a visor. His mouth was covered by a silver mouth-guard. Kyle had changed into Chalice, the Mantis Undead.

"What the hell?!" one of the goons cried.

"Oh!" the woman gasped in complete shock. Her son was gaping in a mix of awe and surprise.

Chalice only gave a small growl from the back of his throat. He felt incredible! Was this how Hajime felt every time he changed? As he watched the goons hold their positions in confusion, he felt a voice whispering the back of his head.

'_Fight, fight, fight, fight, fight, fight!_' the voice would whisper.

Chalice wasn't very interested in ignoring the voice. Fighting is what he wanted to do in the first place. His reason for fighting was what brought him into conflict with the voice. The voice which he suspected was the instincts of the Mantis Undead, wanting to fight for the sheer sake of fighting. Chalice wanted to fight to protect the woman and her son. Still, this was no time for inner thoughts when he had some butts to kick.

"Don't be fooled!" the leader of the goons cried. "It's probably some kind of ninja genjutsu trick!"

The goons seemed emboldened by that. They all raised their swords and began their charge again. Chalice felt his Undead instincts kicking in as his adrenaline started coming for the upcoming fight. As the first goon came at him with his sword, Chalice moved with even faster reflexes and chopped the goon in the side to momentarily stun him before landing solid punch between his eyes, knocking him flat on the ground.

"Yaaaargh!" the second goon roared, hoping that the distraction his teammate made would be enough for him to cut the Rider down.

Chalice was not so easily caught off guard with his Undead instincts for battle. Acting quickly, he batted the sword to the side before gripping the man by the shirt and head-butting him. Flesh and blood made impact against the armor making up Chalice's head. There was a loud thunk before the goon dropped his sword and his world went spinning. Chalice threw the dazed man to the side almost carelessly.

"_Next?_" he asked almost mockingly. He was hoping that his aloof attitude would get the swordsmen mad so they would get sloppy and make mistakes. Hey, it worked for Ranma Saotome so it might work for him.

"Kill him!" the lead goon roared. He and the other two goons all roared as they charged at one. Their logic was that if quality was beyond them, then quantity would do much better.

"_Not going to happen!_" Chalice cried as he reached behind his back. He felt something appear in his hand and when he brought it out, he was holding the Chalice Arrow, a weapon that looked like a bow, but the ends were blades which were as effective as swords.

The goons didn't find this very threatening as they continued their assault. Chalice held his weapon of choice and charged at the three. Blades whirled and clashed against each other while sparks flew. The goons were used to needing only their swords in a fight, but Chalice didn't limit himself to that. He used his fists and feet while fighting with his blade. Punches and kicks were colliding with flesh before any of the targets could block properly. All of them began to stumble and groan in pain as Chalice came to a stop and turned to face them. The woman and her son were at his back now, which meant that if push came to shove, he could use some of his other Rouze cards if the situation called for it.

"How can one guy be this strong?" one goon gaped, almost in panic.

"Who cares? He can't beat us all at once! Charge!" the leader bellowed angrily.

"_They never learn,_" Chalice sighed. He quickly reached to his belt and detached the buckle and snapped it onto his Chalice Arrow. He then reached to his side where a case could be found. The end was open for easy removal of whatever was inside. In this case, it was the Heart Rouze Cards. Chalice gripped one and pulled it out. This one depicted a hawk with the word 'Tornado' on the side. Taking this card, he slashed it through the Rouzer.

"**Tornado!**" the Rouzer cried. The card vanished as the image on it turned to blue energy before being absorbed into the Chalice Arrow. Chalice himself then took aim at the five thugs before giving a mental command which unleashed a spinning tornado at his targets.

The thugs all gave off cries of shock and fear before turning to pain as they hit the ground. The raging winds quickly died down as the goons began to recover from the assault.

"This ain't worth the cash Gatoh's paying me!" one goon cried. "I'm outta here!"

There was a general chorus of agreement from the other goons as they managed to get back to their feet and run away. Chalice relaxed his stance as he took his Rouzer and placed it back on his belt. The woman and her son were still frozen as they gazed at the warrior who had saved them. Chalice moved slowly so he wouldn't scare them as he drew another card from his belt. This one had the image of a person on the front with a heart inside of them. It read 'Spirit' on the side. He quickly slashed it through.

"**Spirit!**" the belt called before the field which had brought Chalice out returned and stripped him of his armor. When it was gone, Kyle was standing in his place, looking slightly winded and jittery from all the adrenaline rushing through him.

"Are you two okay?" he asked, turning to the pair.

"Um...yes," the woman nodded, having remembered her voice. "Thank-you for saving my son and I."

"Ah, it's no big deal," Kyle shrugged. He walked over to where he had placed his case and was happy to see that it was still there with the three buckles inside. He then turned back to the mother and son. "I just did what anyone would do."

"No one else would have helped," the boy mumbled darkly, still not releasing his grip from his mother.

"Pretty grim opinion there kid," Kyle frowned slightly. Now the kid was looking even more familiar. Just where had he seen him before?

"Sadly, he's more right than you think," the woman sighed sadly with a downcast look. "Ever since Gatoh started crushing the economy, the people have been losing the will to do anything."

"Gatoh?" Kyle blinked. "Who's he?" The name rung a bell, but beyond that he was drawing a blank.

"You honestly don't know?" the woman blinked. Her son was likewise surprised. Kyle's shrug just confirmed it for her. "Well, it's sort of a long story. I think we would be much more comfortable back at our house for storytelling."

"Oh, I don't want to trouble you," Kyle shrugged, trying to be polite. "I mean, this depression must be just as hard for you."

"It's no trouble at all...oh, I just realized that we don't even know the name of our savior," the woman smiled.

"Kyle Jones," Kyle introduced. "I don't think I caught your names either."

"My name is Tsunami," the woman bowed formally. She then gestured to her son. "This is my son Inari."

Just like that, realization hit Kyle like a load of bricks out of a dump truck. Now he knew where he had heard the name Gatoh and where he had seen the two people in front of him before. He had read about them in the pages of _Naruto_! Kyle almost blew a fuse when he realized it. Then again, he was holding the Rouze Cards and the means to change into Kamen Riders so how farfetched was being in a popular anime anyway? Still, part of Kyle was still insisting that he was dreaming so for the sake of his sanity, he decided to just play along. It was a shame though. His ninja dreams usually involved Kurenai, Anko, or some other attractive kunoichi declaring their love for him. Oh well.

"Pleasure to meet you," Kyle nodded through a partially forced smile.

"Well, now that introductions are met, shall we?" Tsunami smiled as she gestured to a path away from town.

"You lead and I'll follow," Kyle smiled.

Tsunami nodded before she and Inari started their way back towards their home. Kyle remained behind them since he had absolutely no idea where they were going. The people still remained slumming, but no one seemed to have intent in trying to steal from them. Even better, there didn't seem to be any sword-wielding thugs eyeing them. They continued walking until they were out of town and on the path to the countryside. When they were finally out of town, Inari decided to talk to the guy who saved him and his mom.

"How'd you do that thing with that armor?" Inari asked almost suspiciously. "Are you a ninja or something?"

"Me? A ninja?" Kyle chuckled. "I don't think I could hit the broad side of a barn with a kunai."

"Then how did you make that armor appear? And the tornado?" Inari pressed.

"I'm not quite sure about the finer points," Kyle sighed before tapping his belt. "But I do know that when I slash my cards through this buckle, I can either take a different form or get a special power for a short time."

"What do cards have to do with it?" Inari asked with a slight frown.

"It isn't really the cards, but what's sealed inside of them," Kyle answered. "You really wouldn't believe me if I told you anyway."

"Sure," Inari huffed disbelievingly. As skeptical as he was trying to sound, he saw for himself that the cards played a big role in how the older boy had saved him and his mom.

Tsunami continued leading Kyle and her son until they came to a rather modest looking two-story house. It was right next to what looked like a lighthouse. It looked like it was built on the water since there was a wooden walkway to both the lighthouse and the main house itself. It looked reasonably calm and clean as well. The depression in the city obviously hadn't hit out in the country as hard as it did in the city. Apparently living out in the country had its perks.

"It isn't much," Tsunami smiled pleasantly, "But it's home."

"It's still a nice place," Kyle grinned. "Thank you for your hospitality."

Tsunami walked inside with Inari and Kyle close behind. The mature woman instantly went to get snacks while Inari left to do whatever a broody kid like him would do. Kyle knew that he wasn't as emo as Sasuke Uchiha, but if it was left like it was then he would be.

"So, Kyle," Tsunami spoke from the kitchen. "Where are you from? Your name leads me to believe that you're a foreigner."

"I guess you could say that me about me," Kyle laughed nervously. "I come from the North."

"You mean _Kaminari no Kuni _(Lightning Country) or _Tsuchi no Kuni_ (Stone Country)?" asked Tsunami.

"No," Kyle denied, "Further north than that. I'm from outside the Elemental Countries." Technically, that wasn't a lie. As whacked out as his situation was, he could honestly say that he was not from the Elemental Countries.

"Really?" Tsunami blinked as she walked back out into the dining room. "We don't often hear about people coming from outside the countries."

"Well, we exist," Kyle shrugged.

"So what brings you to _Nami no Kuni_?" Tsunami asked as she took a seat across from Kyle.

"To be honest," Kyle sighed. "I don't know. Last thing I remember was being at home. Then all these weird lights start popping up and I find myself on the ground here in Nami. I think it must have been a jutsu of some kind or something."

"Why would ninjas be after you?" Tsunami asked with some concern. She didn't even ask what made him think it was a jutsu. She had been the unfortunate witness of seeing Kiri-nin at work. Seeing jutsus in action let one believe that they can do almost anything. Well, if they weren't well versed in such things anyway.

Kyle knew that he was lying through his teeth, but it was the only thing he could say. Ironically, he didn't know that it was truly a jutsu that had brought him to Nami. Sighing in resignation, he reached into his pockets and placed the Rouze Cards on the table. They were in four separate piles with the Category Ace on top of each pile. He kept the Joker in his pocket. As honorable as the Joker's personality was, its destructive instincts and abilities were probably on par with Akatsuki.

"What are these?" Tsunami blinked as she gently picked up the Change Spider. It was a green spider with a gold club on its abdomen and a gold background. Kyle had been relieved when he saw it. It meant that the Spider Undead was properly sealed and wouldn't be able to possess anyone.

"They are called Rouze Cards," Kyle explained. "It was with these that I was able to help you and Inari. The actual ones I used were the Heart cards, the mantis and hawk to be specific."

Tsunami's eyes moved to the Change Mantis card before she picked it up and examined it, "This is what you used to change into that other form?"

Kyle nodded, "The belt I was wearing lets me change into a form which is the same as the creature sealed inside the card when I use it as a belt. When I use it on my weapon, I get power from the card."

"Creatures?" wondered Tsunami.

"Nothing that we need to go into great depth for," Kyle smiled pleasantly. "Suffice to say that these creatures are very powerful. Their abilities could give anyone who could use them properly a huge advantage in battle. Each card is different in either function, use, or form."

"That does make them powerful," Tsunami muttered. "Maybe that's why you were hit by that jutsu. Someone wanted to take them from you."

"Maybe," Kyle sighed.

Before Tsunami could make any more comments on the Rouze Cards, the front door to the house opened. An older man walked inside looking depressed and angry at the same time. He was wearing workman's clothes and a sake bottle was tied to his waist. He had white hair and a beard with glasses on.

"I'm home," he sighed.

"Oh, hello, Father," Tsunami smiled as she went to greet him. Kyle took in the image of the old man and instantly recognized him. This was the famous bridge builder Tazuna. This was the guy who was defying the crooked industrialist Gatoh and building a bridge to the mainland which would really help Nami's economy. Basically, Gatoh's hold on Nami would crumble since he was the owner of a shipping company.

Tazuna nodded to his daughter before he saw the young man seated at the dining room table, "Eh? Who's the kid?"

"Oh, this is Kyle," Tsunami introduced as the boy in question. "He saved me and Inari from a bunch of thugs today."

Tazuna's eyes widened from the announcement. Kyle noted that she didn't mention that the goons had been working for Gatoh. It stood to reason that he was under enough stress from bridge construction as it was. Gatoh was probably leaning pretty hard on him to stop construction.

"Then I guess I owe you my thanks," Tazuna sighed, his demeanor having completely changed. He went from gruff and tough to a tired old man in a heartbeat. It was becoming painfully obvious just how much this bridge project was wearing on Tazuna now.

"Bad day at work?" Tsunami asked in concern.

"Bad doesn't even begin to describe it," Tazuna sighed as he went to the table and took a seat. "Taromaru walked off the job. To make things worse, the _pig_ Gatoh showed up trying to bribe me out of building the bridge. He said it was 'for the good of my family'."

"I don't mean to sound dumb, but just who is Gatoh?" Kyle asked. He now remembered everything about Gatoh, but he still had to play dumb.

At Tazuna's shocked look, Tsunami decided to explain, "He's not from Nami or even _Mizu no Kuni_ (Water Country)."

"Oh," Tazuna nodded. He then sat up to explain. "Gatoh is the head of a shipping corporation. He's one of the richest people out there. The problem is that he's just as crooked as he is rich. He uses ninjas and other crooks to smuggle drugs and contraband."

"Well, doesn't he sound just swell," Kyle frowned with sarcasm thick in his voice. He read about Gatoh's history in the manga, but hearing it from one of the people he was trying to hurt made him sound much worse.

"Hnn," Tazuna nodded. "He also takes over other corporations and small countries. About a year ago, he came to Nami. He used violence and wealth to take over all the shipping and marine transportation. In Nami, controlling the waterways means controlling everything."

"Then this bridge is a direct threat to him," Kyle finished.

"Right," Tazuna nodded. "He's been trying to bribe me to abandon construction, but I fear he might start resorting to violence soon."

"But why doesn't he just blow up the bridge?" Kyle wondered.

"Heh," Tazuna smirked. "I personally went to the Water Daimyo to get the permission to build the bridge. If the bridge was sabotaged, then the Water Daimyo would begin an investigation which could ruin Gatoh. He can't afford that."

"Then you have an edge on him," Kyle snickered. "The problem is that you can't prove that he's trying to stop the construction illegaly. Otherwise you'd tell the Water Daimyo, wouldn't you?"

"Exactly," Tazuna nodded. "Sadly, Gatoh is too slippery to leave obvious tracks. That and no one here has enough guts to try and stand up against him."

Everyone fell silent at that. Kyle could guess why. The only one who really went up against Gatoh openly was Kaiza. He was a real hero in Nami and when Gatoh publicly executed him for his resistance, it broke a lot of people's spirits. It was also why Inari stopped believing in heroes.

"So, all that's left is to build the bridge," Kyle sighed while sitting up.

"Yes," Tazuna nodded. "It will be hard, but I believe that we can really do it."

"If it's all the same to you Tazuna," Kyle spoke. "I'll help build the bridge too. I mean, you did say that someone walked out today."

Tazuna's face took on a look of surprise, "You...you would help us even though you aren't from our country?"

"Well, I'm here now so it's just as much my problem as it is yours," Kyle shrugged. He then started grinning. "Besides, I want to see Gatoh's face when you finish the bridge. He'll be so pissed off he might give himself a heart attack."

Now, Kyle knew that this wasn't going to happen since Gatoh was going to end up dead before the bridge would be completed. That is, if Kyle's own presence didn't change things too

"Now that we can agree on," Tazuna laughed heartily. "Well, this is some good news to hear. You can start tomorrow."

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That was how Kyle became a member of Tazuna's household. Tazuna was also proving to be a tough taskmaster when it came to building on the bridge. He would bark orders and get people moving at rapid paces. What made it worse was that every so often, someone who was too scared of crossing Gatoh would quit and run off. It really disheartened the workers, not to mention added to their workload. It got so bad that Kyle had to resort to using his Category 9 of Hearts: Recover Camel, to not drop from exhaustion. The pay for making the bridge wasn't that great either since most of the money went into buying the materials needed so the workers didn't get much money for their trouble.

Today was shaping up to be the average day. Tazuna was having Kyle move bags of cement. It was one of the days that Kyle was tempted to use his Category Jack of Clubs: Fusion Elephant and the brute strength it possessed to help get the heavy lifting jobs done. Of course, that would probably scare away the other workers and cause the entire workload to fall on him.

Kyle had also taken to bringing one of the Kamen Rider belts and Rouze Cards with him whenever he left the house. He knew that Gatoh was going to start hiring some Kiri or missing-nins to kill Tazuna before too long. The problem was that he had no idea what kind of attacks Tazuna went through before he finally decided to hire ninjas to protect him.

"Everyone!" he heard Tsunami cry. "I have drinks!"

Tsunami was quickly becoming the highlight of his days on the bridge. She and Inari would come everyday with clean water for the workers to drink and cool off with. Her presence helped bring morale up for some of the younger men. Morale was definitely important since almost everyone was down in the depression. Kyle put the bag of cement with the others he had moved already before heading over to Tsunami and Inari.

"Hello, Kyle," Tsunami smiled as she handed the glass of water over to the young man. "How's work?"

"As usual, your father is a complete slave driver," Kyle chuckled.

"What was that Gaki?" Tazuna frowned, somehow having heard Kyle. The young man in question merely shrugged it off while Tsunami giggled. Inari had a small frown on his face, but he was usually down so it wasn't often anyone but his mother could guess what was bugging him this time.

"Don't mind him," Tsunami smiled. "How much progress do you think you've made?"

"You'll have to ask your father about that," Kyle sighed. "I'm just the heavy labor."

Tsunami just smiled again. As the workers drank their fill of water, a fog bank began rolling in. Since they were in _Mizu no Kuni_, heavy fog wasn't unheard of. It was actually a very common occurrence. It certainly explained why the most powerful ninja village in the country was called the Village Hidden in Mist.

"Gaaahh!" a voice cried within the fog.

"What was that?!" cried one of the other workers.

The fog continued to roll in until everyone was consumed inside of it. The fog was as thick as pea soup, making it difficult to see anything unless it was a foot or two in front of you. The men were beginning to get scared and a few had already run for their lives. A tumbling sound suddenly started echoing through the thick air.

"What is that?" Tazuna frowned with some suspicion.

The tumbling sound got louder before everyone could see something small rolling towards them at a quick pace. Kyle was having a huge sense of foreboding at what was happening so he already had his Leangle Buckle out along with the Category Ace of Clubs. The object still came rolling towards them, but as it came closer, there was a trail of something following it. When the object was about a foot away from everyone was when it came to a stop.

"Ahhhh!!" One of the workers screamed. Tsunami was quick to grab her son and shield his eyes. Death wasn't anything new to him, but Tsunami still had her motherly instincts.

Their reason for their screams? Simple; the object that had been sent rolling at the collection of people was the severed head of one of the workers who had been at the edge of the bridge. Something had taken his head off.

"It's Tomo!" cried one of the workers.

"Was it an accident?" wondered another.

"We would have heard something!" yelled a third.

"It must be ninjas!"

Kyle cursed under his breath. It seemed that Gatoh got tired of trying to play by the rules and was now heading straight for assassination to try and stop the bridge from being built. He didn't know how much time he would have or even if a Kamen Rider could go against a ninja, but he had to try. He held up the Leangle Buckle and placed the Ace of Clubs on a small tray sticking out of the right side of the buckle. He then snapped the tray shut with the card inside. The buckle began giving off a pulsing noise as Kyle brought it to his waist over the Joker Belt. The Leangle Buckle ejected a purple strap which wrapped around his waist and fastened itself to him. As it did, a case appeared on the side for the Club Rouze Cards to be held in.

"Look out!" Tsunami suddenly cried. Kyle looked up from his buckle and saw what looked like a chain lined with small blades flying at him through the mist. He wouldn't be able to dodge in time, so he had one option left to him.

"Henshin!" Kyle cried as he snapped the buckle open to reveal a Club symbol.

"**Open Up!**" the buckle called before a large rectangular field which depicted a gold spider on the front ejected from the belt. The field continued to grow as it flew outward. The blade chain made impact against the field and was forced back. When the field was large enough to fit a person, it began to hover back towards Kyle. The workers who witnessed this feat were stunned at what they saw. They hadn't seen anything like this before. The field continued coming closer to Kyle until it passed over him, changing him.

He was now donned in a dark green bodysuit with silver and gold armor over his chest and shoulders. On the centre of his chest were three silver circles which fit inside what looked almost like a club from the card suit. His forearms were wrapped with two gold bracelets which had two black leather belts between them. The same could be said for his shins as well. His head was covered by an almost cylindrical helmet which looked like it had a spider on the face. It had two large purple eyes for him to see through while a gold faceplate covered his mouth. In his hand was a long staff which was rounded at the end with a bladed club symbol at the top. Kyle had changed again, this time into Kamen Rider Leangle.

In the thickness of the fog, two ninjas felt their chain get deflected by something. They weren't sure what, but this meant that they now had some possible competent opposition.

"Spin him like a top," the ninja on the right hissed, his voice sounding hollow. A notable feature was that he looked like he had a horn coming out of his forehead.

"Gladly," snickered the second, who had two horns.

With that, the two ninjas dashed forward with their bladed chain held between them, attached to a clawed gauntlet that both ninjas wore.

Leangle spied something moving in the mist, but when he was about to walk forward to see what it was, the chain from before with two ninjas attached to either end by a clawed gauntlet burst through the mist and wrapped him tightly.

"Odd choice of armor," muttered the first ninja. He wore a Kiri hitai-ate, a dark cloak and a breathing mask. A metal horn was sticking out from his hitai-ate.

"Still, we have to kill the old man and this one is in our way," muttered the second, who was wearing tan shirt and slacks with black blotches on the pants. He was also wearing a Kiri hitai-ate and breather mask. He had two metal horns coming out of his hitai-ate.

Leangle knew that he was in serious trouble and he didn't want to test how thick his armor was. He reached to his case and managed to grab a card and pull it out. This one had the image of a jellyfish on the front with the word 'Gel' printed on the side. Leangle thanked his luck that the Rouzer end of his staff was in reach. He quickly brought the card to the Rouzer to slash it through.

The two Kiri-nins likewise acted and began to pull on the chain with all their might. Their aim was to shred Leangle to pieces while spinning him like a top. It was a particularly favorite technique of theirs which served to amuse them to no end. However, things weren't about to go their way.

"**Gel!**" the Rouzer cried as an image of the card was absorbed into Leangle's body. His entire body then changed into a liquid substance which splashed to the ground with a wet plop. Both mist-nins stumbled form the sudden lack of resistance and peered at the odd pool in slight confusion.

"A _mizu bunshin_(water clone)?"asked the one-horn.

"Obviously," growled the two-horn.

Both Kiri-nins began looking to their surroundings, trying to figure out where Leangle had vanished to. As they had their backs turned to the puddle, they didn't notice it rising and reforming back into the armored fighter. The two-horn heard a footstep and turned to see what it was only to witness Leangle swinging his staff at him.

"Hah!" the two-horn cried as he leaped over the attack. Leangle followed him with his eyes, but as his target came landing on the ground again, the One Horn was already in his face and slashed him with his metal claw.

"Gah!" Leangle cried as sparks flew from the blow. He stabilized himself before gripping his staff. "So that's they way you Kiri-nin wanna play, eh?"

"We don't play," muttered the one horn. "We get the missions done!"

"And ours is to kill the old man!" hissed the two horn. "A mission you are impeding on!"

'Gatoh's_ made his move eh?_' Leangle thought to himself. '_Should be expecting Kakashi, Zabuza, Haku, and Team 7 soon then._'

"Y'know," Leangle chuckled. "it would be pretty stupid of me to fight you two without any backup."

"And what backup could a lone warrior possibly have," chuckled the one horn.

"The best kind," Leangle laughed as he drew two cards. One had a golden image of an elephant with the word 'Fusion' written on the side while the other had an armored tapir on it with the word 'Remote' written on it. He carelessly tossed the elephant card forward before slashing the other card through his Rouzer

"**Remote!**" the Rouzer called before Leangle pointed the tip of the staff at the still flying card. A beam of energy fired from it and collided with the card. The card turned into an image of the art which grew in size at a rapid pace before changing into a whole new creature

The creature was BIG. It had green, somewhat wrinkled skin along with black armor which fit over its frame. In the centre of its armored chest was more green skin with an eye in the centre of it. On its left shoulder was an elephant's head while a tube was hanging over its right. Its face was covered with a mask which was mostly flat save for the eyes, nose, a pair of tusks and a mouth. It had chains hanging from the head and a large hammer clutched in its hand. A soft growl was coming from its throat.

"A summons?!" Two Horn gasped.

"But he didn't use any hand seals!" added One Horn.

"Elephant Undead," Leangle spoke up, catching its attention. "I'm in a bit of a bind. Care to help me take these two idiots down?"

"_Hmph!_" the Elephant Undead snorted. "_As if you had to ask. I'll help._"

"Glad to hear it," Leangle nodded as he took a battle stance.

Both of the Kiri-nins were now a little more wary. They were now faced with a warrior who could do his own jutsus without hand seals, but the same for summonings as well. The summons was also strange and had never been seen before. He called it an elephant, but what kind of summons was humanoid in the first place?

Leangle and the Elephant Undead made the first move. Both charged at the two Kiri-nins with their weapons of choice raised. Leangle aimed for One Horn while the Elephant Undead went for the Two Horn. Both fighters swung wide to hit their targets but the ninjas just leaped over them again. The Elephant Undead acted fast by using the tube on its shoulder, which was actually a trunk, and let it coil around the chain. Despite the green drops of blood falling to the ground, the Elephant Undead pulled on the chain, putting the two Kiri-nins off balance and sent them crashing to the ground.

"_A horrible weak point,_" the Elephant Undead frowned.

"They just underestimated you," Leangle shrugged. He then reached for his case and began pulling out two more cards. These ones had a mole and a bee on them. The words on them read 'Screw' and 'Stab'.

"No way!" One-Horn cried as he and his partner hurled their chain forward to try and stop any further assault.

"**Screw! Stab!**" the Rouzer cried as Leangle quickly slashed the cards through. When the cards were absorbed into his armor, the tip of his staff began to spin at high speeds. Leangle then lunged forward with the bladed chain flying at him. The spinning staff met the chain and one was caught in the other. The chain was pulled taunt before it started coiling around the tip. It was with this action that the two Kiri-nins were yanked rather violently towards the Rider and Undead pair.

The Elephant Undead charged forward and hit them both with his hammer. It was at this point that the chain snapped off the gauntlets the two Kiri-nin were wearing and fell to the ground as Leangle pulled his staff out of the mess of chains that was at his feet. The Kiri-nins landed against a railing that overlooked the ocean that surrounded Nami. Both had blood trickling out of their masks and seemed a little shaky.

"Will you two surrender and leave, or do I have to finish this?" Leangle asked sternly while drawing two more cards. These ones had the images of a polar bear and a cobra. They had the words 'Bizzard' and 'Bite' written on the side.

"You'll have to kill us before we surrender!" both Kiri-nin cried at once. Their hands started going into several positions which announced that they were about to use a jutsu. Leangle acted quickly as he brought his cards to his Rouzer.

"**Blizzard! Bite!**" the Rouzer called as the combo was created. "**Blizzard Crash!**"

The images on the two cards appeared before they were absorbed into Langle's body. He leaped into the air as his body became surrounded with chilling cold which caused the moisture in the air to begin freezing and making frost on nearby surfaces. Leangle started coming back down, executing a scissor kick.

"_Suiton: Suiryuuda-_!" the two Kiri-nin cried out, but were interrupted when the attack hit.

"Gyaaaahhhhhh!" both Kiri-nins cried as the freezing kick collided with the both of them. Both nin were forced backward by the impact only to fall off the side of the bridge. It was quite a long fall before both of them hit the water's surface. Leangle dared to look over the side and only saw ripples. The two Kiri-nin were gone, but most likely not dead if things were still running on course like the manga.

"_Interesting place we landed in,_" the Elephant Undead spoke up as the mist began to clear. "_Not at all like Tokyo._"

"I'm sure," Leangle sighed. He turned to where the other workers, Tazuna, Tsunami, and Inari were standing last he checked. They were all still there and watching with shock. Several of them were gaping. Leangle just turned to the Elephant Undead while drawing a Proper Blank, a card which had no image on it save for chains draped over it. "Sorry, but you gotta go."

The Elephant Undead didn't protest as the card made contact with him. His entire body turned into green energy before being sucked inside of the card. The image quickly changed to the gold elephant while the text rearranged to suit the card. Heaving a sigh, Leangle started walking back towards the workers. As he was walking, he snapped his buckle shut and removed the Ace, causing the purple field to appear and pass over him again. This time, it returned him to normal while the buckle released its hold on his body. He remained silent as he stepped closer to the people he had been working beside.

"So...do I still have a job?" Kyle asked while rubbing the back of his neck.

These words snapped Tazuna out of his shock. The old man just began to grin before he walked over to Kyle and clapped his hand on his shoulder.

"You're damn right you have a job!" he laughed. "There's no way I'm just going to fire someone who can not only help us build the bridge, but protect the workers from Gatoh's thugs!"

Murmurs of enthusiastic agreement rippled through the workers. Soon, they were all coming forward to thank Kyle for helping them and making sure that those two ninja didn't get Tazuna or kill anyone else just because they felt like it. Tsunami actually gave Kyle a hug for helping them. Inari came last as he watched Kyle with wide eyes.

"Something you want to say Inari?" Kyle asked with a grin.

"Uh...can...can you really keep Grandpa safe with your powers?" the young boy asked

"So long as the old man lets me hang around," Kyle replied.

"I'll get you for that one Gaki," Tazuna chuckled.

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"WHAT?!" Gatoh roared as he heard the story the two ninjas he had hired had to tell. "You mean you blew it?!"

Gatoh did not really seem like an intimidating fellow. He was actually pretty short and in his forties. He still had his hair, which was kind of bushy. He wore dark sunglasses and had a neatly trimmed mustache. Of course, he was seething at the moment.

"We met up with some...unexpected opposition," One-Horn answered as a medic tended to his wounds. He and his partner had suffered some broken ribs along with sub-zero temperature damage to their faces and torsos. It was really a wonder they had survived a fall off the bridge,

"How could one man do this to two trained Kirigakure ninjas?!" Gatoh demanded.

"He had strange jutsus with him," Two-Horn answered. "All he does is pass some cards through his weapon and he is suddenly able to do attacks. He also has some odd summons with him as well."

Gatoh growled angrily. This was not what he had planned for at all. The old bridge builder was supposed to be dead by now and the only threat to him acquiring Nami for another base gone with him. Somehow the old fool managed to hire some help. Serious help if he was able to fight off two Chunin level ninja. This would require some bigger weapons. Luckily, he had the deep pockets needed to get them. He walked over to his desk and pressed a button which connected him to his secretary.

"Tsuki," he barked. "Get me a contact with Zabuza Momochi."

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"Gatoh is getting serious now," Tazuna frowned. Everyone had gone home for the day with somewhat higher spirits. Tazuna, Kyle, and Tsunami were sitting at the table after Inari had gone to bed. They were discussing what they were going to do now.

"What are we going to do?" Tsunami fretted. She didn't want anyone else to die, especially her father.

"Even with all my power, I can't protect you in my sleep," Kyle sighed.

"True," Tazuna nodded. "We're going to need some professional help."

"Help?" Tsunami asked.

"Yes," Tazuna nodded. "If Gatoh is going to hire ninja then we will have to do the same."

"Father!" Tsunami cried. "We can't! We can't afford it!"

"Lady has a point," Kyle agreed, though he knew his opinion mattered little. "Missions that involve other hostile ninjas are usually B-class or higher. Those are generally expensive ones too. Besides, who are we going to hire? I doubt the Mizukage is going to accept since Gatoh has already hired out Kiri-nins to kill you."

"We can scrounge up the cash," Tazuna snorted. "If we can't get help from Kirigakure, then we are going to have to get help from the next closest village."

"But that's Konohagakure!" Tsunami cried. "That's all the way in _Hi no Kuni _(Fire Country)!"

"I'll be okay once I get past _Mizu no Kuni_'s borders," Tazuna insisted. "The Mizukage isn't stupid enough to let his ninjas cross the boarders and risk conflict."

"But what about on your way there?" asked Tsunami. "Gatoh's men can still get you."

"Well, I could stick with you and make sure you're safe," offered Kyle.

"No," Tazuna denied. "You need to stay here and make sure the workers stay safe. I haven't seen their morale this high in a long time. You are staying here."

"But what about the money?" asked Tsunami.

"I've still got the money from my pay saved up," Kyle replied. "That ought to help."

"I've got some too," Tazuna nodded. "If we can find some people who are willing to donate, we might get enough to afford the assignment."

"I think I might have a little," Tsunami sighed sadly.

"Okay," Tazuna nodded. "Provided that we can get enough, I am going to head to Konoha."

To be Continued...

A/N: I got this idea after reading Dark Magician 41's fic, The Accidental Rider. Like I said, a good read. I decided to do my own take on the concept. This is my first Naruto fic so please be nice and don't flame me to hell for this. As far as pairings go, I'm undecided on who should be with who. I'm not going to go Yaoi though. It will be all M/F pairings. Suggestions would be appreciated.


	2. Chapter 2

I do not own Kamen Rider Blade or Naruto. Those belong to their respective creators and not me. Anyone who thinks otherwise needs their heads examined. Anyway, here's the next chapter and I hope you all enjoy.

The Forgotten Rider

By Ten-Faced Paladin

Chapter 2: Rider of the Wave

Kyle's fame as 'The Rider' as the people began to call him spread quickly. The people were excited to see that someone was able to stand up to Gatoh's thugs and live. Ninjas no less! Now when he went with Tsunami and Inari into town for things, people would whisper wherever he went and eyeing his belt, wondering how much it was worth. Kyle was never one to stand out so he found this new attention placed on him to be both unnerving and exciting.

Tazuna had gone to _Hi no Kuni_ a day after the attack by whom Kyle now recognized as the Demon Brothers. His mind gave him that information after the battle was finished and the adrenaline had worn off. Still, it worried Kyle to see Tazuna go off on his own. He knew the Demon Brothers would attack again, but he wasn't sure if his presence would have altered anything. At best, it might make Kakashi's fight with them that much easier.

Gatoh hadn't sent anymore ninja after the workers on the bridge either. He was probably trying to gather info on The Rider now. Most smart people did that when faced with something new. They learned about it and in Gatoh's case, try to find a way to get rid of it. To that end, Kyle was keeping the Blade and Garren Buckles secret for the moment. King Form and Garren's gun would definitely give him an edge in battle if he had to go up against Zabuza rather that Kakashi.

Inari had likewise warmed up to Kyle since that day. He slowly began to regain his faith that heroes did exist. Kyle knew that such people already existed, but the hard part was to prove that there were heroes all over the place. You just had to keep an eye out for them. Kyle also knew that Naruto would help Inari see this.

At the moment, Kyle was watching Inari as Tsunami got some of the daily chores done. The two were playing a card game with the Rouze Cards. Inari actually found the Rouze Cards interesting and was asking questions about what they did and what kinds of Undead were inside of them. Kyle would just answer his questions with knowledge he gained from watching the Kamen Rider Blade television show. It only got Inari even more interested. Kyle was thankful for Inari's enthusiasm since it kept his mind off his grandfather for the time being.

While they were talking, the front door suddenly slammed open with the sounds of stumbling feet. Kyle was instantly up with his Category Ace of Hearts in his hand. He went straight to the front door to see who had entered and let out a slight sigh of relief when he saw Tazuna coming in. Beside him were three Genin shinobi who wore hitai-ate with the Konoha symbol on them. The first was the black-haired emo Sausuke Uchiha. Next to him was the pink-haired intelligent-yet-annoying fangirl Sakura Haruno, and finally was the blonde prankster that Kyle could recognize a mile away, Naruto Uzumaki. Sasuke and Naruto were both carrying over their shoulders a man in a Jounin uniform with his hitai-ate draped over one eye and silver hair. Kyle instantly recognized him as Kakashi Hatake.

'_And so it begins,_' Kyle thought to himself before looking to Tazuna. "Glad to see you home, Old man. Inari was worried sick."

"Glad to be back," Tazuna nodded. "Now help me get this guy to a futon. There was a huge fight and he used up a lot of his chakra."

Kyle nodded as he and Tazuna took the unconscious Kakashi from Naruto and Sauske and headed for a corner of the house. Tsunami was quickly gathering a spare futon for him. If Kyle was less serious about his situation than he was, he might have felt some kind of excitement in the fact that he was meeting Kakashi himself. As it was, the guy needed rest. Both men carried the unconscious Jounin near a window before Tsunami set the futon down. Kyle and Tazuna then put Kakashi in it so he could recover.

"Judging by the Genin, we didn't have enough to pay for a B-rank mission, did we?" Kyle asked. His voice was low so the three Genin in question wouldn't hear.

"No," Tazuna sighed in an equally low voice. "I had to lie and make it a C-rank one instead."

"I see," Kyle sighed. "Well, we lucked out. If I'm right, then this guy is the infamous copy-nin Kakashi, the man who copied 1000 jutsus. His presence alone will help. If those three are his students then we might have some hope after all."

"I dunno," Tazuna frowned. "The blonde down there is a loudmouth who froze when those Demon Brothers you took down showed up again. Before he left, he went on and on about how he's going to be Hokage."

"The Demon Brothers showed up again?" Kyle blinked. He was slightly relieved at that. It meant that things were still going on track.

"Yeah," Tazuna nodded. "I guess they decided to try and take me out when you weren't around."

"I wondered what happened to them," Kyle snickered.

"Yeah well," Tazuna sighed. "Pinkie is just a fangirl for that other kid who was the only one who actually did any damage to them before Kakashi finished them off."

"So they're still green," Kyle nodded. "Still, if Kakashi is their teacher then there must be something about them he sees that we don't."

"I'll believe that when I see it," Tazuna grumbled before he and Kyle began heading back to where the others were waiting.

Tsunami was already working on something for the Genin to eat. Inari was nowhere to be seen though. He probably went to be by himself. He was obviously a little distrustful of new people. Sasuke was just sitting still at the table, looking a little brooding, but that probably wasn't new. Sakura had snagged a seat next to him and looked like she won the lottery, but she seemed a little nervous too. Naruto on the other hand seemed a little impatient with what was going on. It figured. He was the hyperactive ninja in the ranks.

"Well," Kyle sighed, catching their attention. "Sorry about troubling you guys like this, but if you still came then I guess you did accept the mission."

"You bet we did!" Naruto cried while leaping up. "Once I accept a mission then there's no turning back!"

"That's good to hear," Kyle chuckled. "Because we're in pretty deep. The help is definitely appreciated. By the way, my name is Kyle Jones. Might I ask who you three are?"

"Oh, my name is Sakura Haruno." Sakura introduced politely.

"Sasuke Uchiha," the silent boy spoke up.

"I'm Naruto Uzumaki!" the hyperactive blonde cried. "You'd better remember it because I'm going to be Hokage one day!"

"I'd better remember it then," Kyle chuckled. "If we need help from Konoha in the future then it will be good for us if we personally know the Hokage."

Naruto's face split into a wide grin at the comment. Kyle guessed that he hadn't received too much encouragement beyond Iruka and a few others in his life.

"So," Kyle spoke up again. "What just happened out there? Were the Demon Brothers really that much tougher?"

"Heh," Sasuke smirked. "As if. I could handle guys like them easily."

'_Suuuuuurre you could,_' Kyle thought. '_Hold them off probably, but Kakashi would stand a much better chance against them._'

"It was Zabuza Momochi," Sakura spoke up. "We ran into him while heading here. He and Kakashi-sensei fought and sensei had to use his Sharingan to beat him. It apparently drained his chakra so that's why he was out cold when we got here."

"Wait, the Demon of the Mist? THAT Zabuza?" Kyle spoke up.

"Yes," Sakura nodded. "But thankfully he's dead now. Someone Kakashi-sensei called a hunter-nin killed him."

"Was he now?" Kyle nodded. "Well, that's one worry out of the way. Still, I'm a little surprised that one of the former Seven Swordsmen of Mist was taken down by just one Hunter-nin."

"Seven Swordsmen?" asked Naruto. "Who are they?"

"Didn't you ever pay attention in class?" Sakura sighed. "The Seven Swordsmen of Mist were elite fighters in Kirigakure! They disbanded a while ago, but they are still really dangerous! So Zabuza was one of them?"

"I believe he was," Kyle nodded. "Of course, if what you said about the hunter-nin was true then we don't have to worry."

Naruto grumbled slightly as he leaned back in his chair. He actually seemed disappointed that Zabuza was dead. Kyle just kept his thoughts on this to himself. Why anyone would actually be eager to fight a nut job like Zabuza was beyond him. Personally, they neededto have their heads examined. Then again, Naruto wasn't one of the smartest ninjas around.

A soft groan suddenly rose from the futon as Kakashi returned to the waking world. The three Genin were immediately at their feet as they went to see their teacher. Tsunami was likewise heading there to see if he needed anything.

"How are you feeling, Sensei?" she asked with some concern.

"Bad," Kakashi groaned. He attempted to sit up, but his movements were stiff. "I don't think I'll be able to move properly for about a week."

"Then don't move!" Tsunami ordered sharply. As nice a woman as she was, she was strict with her bedside manner.

"Yes ma'am," Kakashi nodded as he lay back down.

"You burned through your chakra by using the Sharingan," Sakura commented. "I'm not sure if it's a good thing or a bad thing to have it."

"Sorry," Kakashi mumbled, but he didn't sound very sorry at all.

"Still, you did take down Zabuza so we should be okay for a while," Tazuna grinned.

"Speaking of which," Sakura pondered. "Who was that guy in the mask? You called him a hunter-nin"

"I did," Kakashi nodded. "They are a band of ANBU who hunt down ninjas who have betrayed or abandoned their village. A ninja's body can reveal many secrets about their village; chakra, herbs, medical techniques. For example, if I was killed, my Sharingan eye could be examined and possibly all my jutsus could be recorded. It is the job of these ninjas to make sure the bodies are destroyed."

"So Zabuza should be nothing more than a few drops of blood or ashes by now," Kyle spoke up.

"I wish it were that simple," Kakashi replied after a moment of silence.

"What do you mean?" asked Naruto.

"Hunter-nin are trained to destroy the bodies of ninja where they are found," Kakashi frowned behind his mask. "The hunter-nin that killed Zabuza took his body away, didn't he?"

"He did," Sakura nodded. "But why? I mean, what would he want with a dead body?"

"Because Zabuza may not be dead after all," Kakashi replied with his single eye narrowing.

"Huh?!" all three Genin and Tazuna cried.

"How's that possible?" asked Sakura.

"That guy killed Zabuza with senbon needles, correct?" Kakashi asked. Seeing nods, he continued. "Senbon needles weren't initially created for battle. They were made for acupuncture. Depending where they hit on the body, they can make it do different things. There are even spots, that if hit precisely and accurately, can create a death-like state for the person the technique was used on."

"So Zabuza's still alive then if that's the case," Tazuna sighed sadly.

Kakashi nodded, "Luckily, it takes a toll on the person too. Zabuza will be weakened for a while. Hopefully enough time for me to make a full recovery. In the meantime though, you three will have to start training."

Naruto started grinning at the prospect of that. Kakashi noticed the blonde's sudden upbeat attitude. It actually seemed to him that Naruto was happy that Zabuza was still alive. Kyle likewise noticed, but was feeling a little unease. He had proven that the Rider System was capable of fighting ninjas, but against a missing-nin like Zabuza, he wasn't sure. Come to think of it, the Demon Brothers were missing-nin too. Why hadn't their headbands been scratched?

"Kakashi-san," Kyle spoke up. The gray-haired Jounin turned to look at him. "The Demon Brothers are missing-nin like Zabuza, right?"

"Yes," Kakashi nodded. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, when the brothers attacked the bridge, I noticed that they didn't scratch their village symbol. I heard Zabuza didn't do that either. Why is that?"

"Not all missing-nin do that," Kakashi shrugged. "One reason why not is if ninjas are caught do terrible things and their headbands aren't scratched, people assume they are still loyal to their village. In this case, it would give people a bad view of Kiri-nins and possibly hurt the Mizukage economically when it comes to missions. Either that or they were just too lazy to do it."

"He doesn't like Kirigakure as it is?" asked Sakura.

"His reasons are his own," Kakashi sighed. "Right now he is our enemy and we need to prepare for his return."

"All right!" Naruto grinned. "Looks like things are getting interesting!"

"Says you," a new voice spoke.

Everyone turned to see who had spoken and found themselves looking at Inari, who had walked back into the room now that everything had calmed down. Naruto frowned slightly at the tone of his voice and decided to address him.

"Hey, who are you?" he cried.

"Inari!" Tazuna cried. "It's good to see you again!"

"Hi Grandpa!" Inari smiled as he ran and hugged his grandfather. Kyle smiled at the sight. If there was anything that helped Inari smile, it was his mother and grandfather. Of course, Kyle was neutral ground.

As Inari was hugging his grandfather, Tsunami stalked towards them with her hands on her hips, "Inari, don't be rude to our guests. These ninja are the ones who escorted your grandfather back home."

Inari turned his gaze to the collected ninja in the room. He didn't seem all that impressed with them and he looked rather neutral about their appearance.

"We don't need them," he spoke. "We have The Rider. If they don't want to die then they should go home. They aren't strong enough to go against Gatoh."

Kyle blinked at the announcement. Now that was unexpected to him. He thought that Inari didn't believe in heroes. Had his presence and use of the Rouze Cards really changed the young boy's views that much? Naw, it couldn't be.

"What did you say?!" Naruto cried. He pointed at Inari. "Listen up! I am the super hero Naruto Uzumaki! Future Hokage of Konoha!"

"You're no hero!" Inari frowned. "You don't even come close! The Rider helps us everyday! Even more than just fighting! He doesn't even ask for anything in return!"

"Why you-!" Naruto growled as he began to walk over to thump Inari on the head for being rude. Well, he would have if Sakura hadn't physically restrained him. Naruto struggled for a few more moments before he calmed down enough for her to let go.

Inari just turned to leave the room. As he was leaving, he spared a glance at the collected ninja, "If you want to stay and die, then go ahead. Just don't get in The Rider's way."

With that, Inari was gone. Kyle felt a little guilty now. No doubt Naruto might try to pick a fight with him once he either finds out he was the Rider or seen the Rider himself. Although, Kyle began to wonder why Inari didn't tell them about The Rider's true identity.

"Sorry about that," Tazuna sighed while rubbing the back of his head.

"It's no problem," Kakashi shrugged. "Although, this is the second time I heard mention of this 'Rider' fellow. Care to shed some light on this?"

"Where did you hear about him before?" Kyle asked curiously. Did they meet one of the workers and overhear them or something?

"The Demon Brothers," Kakashi replied.

------------------------------------------**Flashback**------------------------------------------

_Kakashi stared down the two notorious missing-nins that had just attempted to kill Tazuna. He had spotted them hiding in a puddle even though it was a bright and sunny day and it hadn't rained recently. After using a Kawimari no Jutsu (Body Replacement Technique) to avoid their attack, he found it slightly odd, but they were a little slower than expected. He almost triggered the jutsu too early._

_Kakashi had hid in the trees to see if he could catch the two off guard while his team dealt with them. As he watched, he found that he was right. The Demon Brothers were being a little slow for Chunin. They also seemed to be favoring their right side. Possibly because of an injury that they had sustained a short time ago. Sasuke was able to hold them off while Naruto seemed to freeze and Sakura hung back with Tazuna._

_Acting quickly, Kakashi leaped into battle and managed to knock out both of the Demon Brothers at the same time. A nice surprise attack if he would say so himself._

_Now that he had a moment to look at the two, he saw that they did have some injuries that still hadn't healed fully. There were signs of frostbite on their faces and judging by how they winced whenever their left sides were moved, something had hit them pretty hard in the ribs as well._

_"Well now," the gray-haired Jounin observed. "Isn't this interesting? It seems someone gave you two a good beating before I even got to you. Care to share who?"_

_"Rrrrr," One-Horn growled angrily. The sting of defeat felt just as bitter the second time around._

_"The Rider," Two-Horn hissed angrily._

_"The Rider?" Kakashi blinked. He hadn't heard of anyone like that and last he checked, the bingo books didn't have a name like that either. He did notice that Tazuna flinched slightly at the name. He apparently knew whoThe Rider was. Judging by the size of the flinch, it wasn't because he was afraid of him._

_"Interesting," Kakashi pondered to himself._

--------------------------------------**End Flashback**-----------------------------------------

Tazuna and Tsunami both looked down slightly as Kakashi explained where he had heard of The Rider. Now it was painfully obvious to the Jounin that they knew something about this unknown fighter. To be honest, Kakashi was finding himself curious about this person. He must be something if he was able to take down two Chunin-level ninjas.

"The Rider is someone who showed up a few weeks ago," Tazuna explained. "When those Demon Brothers attacked, he fought back. As you could tell, he defeated them."

"By himself?" asked Sasuke. This Rider was beginning to catch his interest. If he could fight him, someone who beat two Chunin, and win, he would be one step closer to killing _him_.

"Well, he had a summons to help him," Tsunami offered.

"What kind?" asked Kakashi. If they learned what kind of summons The Rider could use, then they might be able to figure out where he was from.

"Well, it looked kind of human-like," Tsunami offered.

"He called it an elephant, but I dunno," Tazuna shrugged.

"Elephant?" Kakashi blinked. He hadn't heard of a summons like that before.

"Yeah," Tazuna nodded. "As weird as it looked, it was a powerful fighter."

Kyle refrained from speaking. While he could give some testimony to the fight, he might give away something that would implicate him as The Rider. He wasn't very sure why Tazuna and Tsunami were keeping his identity as the Rider secret. He could ask them later, but at the moment he decided to keep his mouth shut.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Later, Kakashi was on a pair of homemade crutches as he led Team 7 out to the woods. After a short time walking, he stopped around some particularly large trees. Kakashi then turned to his students.

"Okay," he spoke. "Now, I'm sure you guys were taught in the academy about chakra, right? You three know what it is?"

"It's the mixture of both body energy and spiritual energy, right?" replied Sakura.

"That's right," Kakashi nodded with his eye in an upside-down U to show he was smiling.

"Why do we need to know this, Kakashi-sensei?" asked Naruto impatiently. "We already know how to use chakra!"

"What he said," Sasuke sighed. "We can already use techniques."

"True," Kakashi nodded. "But you can't use chakra completely yet."

"Huh?" the three Genin blinked.

"As you are, using your chakra creates waste which can create a weakness of not being able to fight for a while," Kaakashi explained. "This is a weakness a ninja cannot afford. So, I am going to put you through a dangerous training which may very well endanger your lives."

A chill ran through the spines of the three Genin as Kakashi's words. They each entertained of training their teacher would put them through. It was a couple of seconds before Sakura had gotten up the courage to finally ask a question.

"W-what are you going to have us do?" she asked timidly.

"What I'm going to have you do is," Kakashi began, "climb trees."

It was a strong urge to facefault which was shared by the three. Still, they held strong to keep from doing the embarrassing action.

"Climbing trees?" Naruto asked. "What kind of training is that?!"

"It is good training since you can't use your hands in this exercise," Kakashi replied.

"Then how are we supposed to do it?" asked Sakura.

"Watch," Kakashi spoke before he made a hand seal. He collected chakra before turning towards one of the trees. When he was in front of a tree, he placed his foot on the tree, before he started walking up the side of the tree. He kept going until he was standing upside down on one of the branches.

"Woah!" Naruto cried. "That's cool!"

"How do we do it?" Sasuke asked emotionlessly.

"What you need to do is concentrate your chakra into your feet," Kakashi explained. "This exercise helps you learn better chakra control. Even seasoned veteran ninjas have problems doing this sometimes. In theory, if you can master this exercise, then you can master any jutsu out there. Like I said though, a theory."

Kakashi then threw some kunai down to his students, "Use these to mark your progress. Try to get a little higher each time. My advice is to make a run of it since you aren't used to using chakra this way just yet."

"Hah!" Naruto smirked. "I'll do this training easy!"

The Training was on for the three. Naruto didn't even manage to get very high since he didn't have enough chakra in his feet. Sasuke on the other hand got a little bit up the tree before the wood began splintering under his feet before launching away from the tree. Apparently, he had been using too much chakra. Sakura though, managed to get to the first branch that could support her weight. Kakashi made an offhand comment about Sakura becoming the next Hokage and the Uchiha clan not being so great. It only served to make the two boys competitive with each other.

Little did they know, Inari was watching them train from behind a tree.

"I don't see the point in doing something like that," he frowned to himself.

"Oh, I dunno," another voice spoke from behind. Inari quickly turned to see who had followed him. He sighed in relief when he saw Kyle. "I didn't learn the combos for the Rouze Cards overnight. I had to train on how to use them."

Inari frowned in thought about that comment. Kyle just turned to see what was going on and fondly remembered the exercise. Inari looked to see what Kyle was looking at.

"Why are you watching them anyway?" asked Inari. "They aren't as strong as you."

"Hmm," Kyle frowned. He then got a grin on his face as he drew the Ace of Clubs and a card depicting a dragonfly with the word 'Float' written on the side. "Why don't we introduce them to the Rider? Then we can find out."

Inari blinked at the moment. He then realized what the older boy was thinking of doing and began to grin a little.

Naruto had gotten a little higher, but his control was still bad. He hadn't been improving much at all. He had a few bumps on his head. Still, he wasn't going to be dissuaded in his training. He looked up the tree to see the marks he had made in the tree. Most of them were collected near each other with a few marks above the mess.

"Rrrrgh!" the blonde growled. "I'll do this! Believe it!"

Naruto brought his hands together to try and get the chakra needed to try the technique again. Dust was kicked up slightly from the chakra flow and he charged for the tree again. His feet met the wood and started trying to get higher than he did before. After a few steps, he felt himself starting to slide back down again.

"Wagh!" he cried as gravity reasserted itself.

"**Float!**"

Kakashi, Sakura, and Sasuke watched as Naruto fell before something green came down from above and caught him by his jacket. Now that everything was holding still, they could see just what had caught Naruto. To be more specific, who had caught Naruto.

Sitting on a tree branch just above Naruto and holding him by the end of his staff was Kamen Rider Leangle. If one could see his face, they would see a big grin on his face. He observed the looks of shock on the ninjas' faces. Off to the side, Inari was trying not to laugh as well. Seeing the ninja his grandfather had hired shocked like they were was funny.

"Yo!" Leangle waved, using Kakashi's catch line when he arrived late for something.

"Who the heck are you?!" Sakura cried, the shock catching up with her.

"Depends who you ask," Leangle shrugged. "To Gatoh and his thugs, I'm called 'Bastard'. I personally call myself Leangle right now. The people around wave call me 'Rider'."

"You're The Rider we've heard about?" Kakashi asked curiously.

"That's me," Leangle nodded. He turned down to look at Naruto. "You okay?"

"Uh...yeah," Naruto nodded, still surprised at seeing The Rider. "Are you going to put me down or not?"

"Sure," Leangle nodded. He held out his staff and allowed Naruto to unlatch himself and land on the ground feet first rather than on his head. Leangle allowed himself to roll off his seat and instead of dropping like they thought he would, he just slowly hovered to the ground. When his feet touched the ground softly, he looked to the surprised Genin and alert Jounin.

"What brings you here...Leangle?" Kakashi asked suspiciously.

"I heard some Konoha-nin had been called in by the bridge builder," Leangle replied. "I wanted to meet them for myself."

"Well you sure came at the right time!" Naruto grinned as he stepped forward. "Watching us powerful ninja train is pretty cool isn't it?"

"I guess," Leangle shrugged. "It's cooler than those Demon Brothers anyway."

"So, Leangle," Kakashi spoke as he stepped forward. "I suppose that it was you who first beat the Demon Brothers?"

"That was me," Leangle nodded. "Those two bozos survived the fall off the bridge?"

"They did," Kakashi nodded. "Tried again a second time."

"I see," Leangle sighed.

The three Genin only watched the exchange with different feelings. Sasuke was trying to determine just how strong this Leangle guy was just by his actions, but he wasn't getting much. That didn't mean he was weak. It could just mean that he was hiding his skill. Naruto thought that Leangle looked pretty darn cool-looking in his armor. He seemed to be a pretty nice guy since he went out of the way to help him out. Sakura was trying to figure out how he hovered to the ground like did. Inner Sakura was making comments about cool and mysterious Leangle looked with his armor and appearance.

"So what are your intentions in _Nami no Kuni_?" Kakashi finally asked.

"I saw people in trouble," Leangle replied simply and without hesitation. "I want to help."

"Admirable," Kakashi nodded. "You do it with asking nothing in return."

"Even if I wanted money, these people are too poor to give it," Leangle commented. "I bet they had to sacrifice a lot of what they had left to pay for you four. I just hope that they get what they paid for."

"They will," Kakashi replied.

"That's good," Leangle replied with a cheery voice. "I look forward to working with you."

Kakashi nodded. He was definitely suspicious, but he had no reason to be hostile to The Rider. He just seemed to be concerned about the people of Nami and wanted to make sure that Team 7 was on the level. Kakashi could remember plenty of missions where civilians involved wanted to be sure of his intentions before letting him help them. He really couldn't blame The Rider for doing the same.

"Us too," Kakashi nodded.

Leangle nodded in satisfaction. Although he knew plenty about Team 7, meeting them as The Rider was important. He had to make sure that they knew he was one of the good guys. It wouldn't do to help against Zabuza or Haku only to get a kunai in the back from a suspicious Sasuke or get trapped in one of Kakashi's techniques.

"Well then, sorry for interrupting your training," Leangle bowed slightly.

"Not at all," Kakashi 'smiled'. "This was very informative."

"Great," Leangle nodded. He then turned towards the deeper woods. "Well, see you."

"Wait!" someone cried.

Leangle turned around and saw Sasuke standing and staring at him unblinkingly. Leangle didn't like the look that was in the Genin's eyes. They seemed to be shining with anticipation and expectation. The last Uchiha had been trying to figure out how Leangle stacked as a fighter, but now decided that fighting him would be the easiest way of finding out.

"Yes?" Leangle asked.

"Fight me," Sasuke all but demanded.

"Why?" Leangle asked in reply.

"If Zabuza is coming back, then we are going to need battle experience as well as training," was Sasuke's response. Leangle wasn't sure, but Sasuke might be using that as an excuse to test himself to see how strong he was.

Leangle turned to Kakashi, "Would you permit sparring with your student?"

"Fine by me," Kakashi shrugged.

"Then we can have Blondie and Pinkie spar too," Leangle nodded. This caught Sakura and Naruto's attention. Naruto was beginning to feel bitter that Sasuke was apparently going to get extra training while Sakura was getting ready to see her Sasuke-kun in action. Of course, hearing their names mentioned in the sparring returned them to reality.

"You're going to spar with all three of them?" Kakashi asked skeptically.

"Me?" Leangle chuckled. "No. I've got a friend in mind for that."

Kakashi guessed that he was talking about a summons. Either Leangle himself or this so-called elephant summons, it didn't quite matter. His students would get some battle training and he would see some of the Rider's techniques.

Leangle reached to his case and drew two cards. These cards were the Screw Mole and Remote Tapir. They were the Category 3 and 10 of Clubs respectively. The four ninja were somewhat confused to see the cards. That confusion only grew when they saw him throw one of the cards at them.

"**Remote!**" Leangle's weapon called as he passed the second card through the end. Leangle then pointed it at the flying card before a beam of energy flew at it. When it struck the card, an image of the mole on the card replaced the card itself before it started to grow larger and larger. When it was large enough, the Undead within came out and Sakura actually screamed.

The Mole Undead didn't really look like the species it was the ancestor of. It was humanoid in shape with what seemed to be a blue head. It had a black mask which had three drills coming from the eyes and nose. Its body was covered with studded metal armor. Its shoulders had rectangular covers while its hands were large claws that were made for digging. Its forearms were covered with spiked armguards which could double as shields. The Mole Undead gave of a dark growl as it watched the three Genin.

"You three can spar with him," Leangle smiled as he pointed at the 'summons'. "The Mole Undead."

"Mole?" Kakashi blinked. Even he was shocked by the creature's appearance. "That doesn't look anything like a mole!"

"The reason behind its appearance is a story for another day," Leangle shrugged. He then turned to his Undead. "Mole Undead! The three in front of you wish to spar!"

The Mole Undead turned to look at Leangle before it nodded. It then turned back to the three Genin before its growling got louder. It then charged forward with its claws raised, ready to strike. Team 7 immediately leaped away to gain some distance from the Undead.

"You can stop that thing before it kills them, right?" Kakashi asked, deathly serious.

"Rest assured, I can," Leangle replied, just as tense. "I would have used one of the more intelligent ones, but they are way more powerful than this one. Start off small and all that."

"But what's the point of having them fight that thing?" asked Kakashi.

"Well, if you can face a real monster, you can face a human with killing intent," Leangle shrugged. It made perfect sense to him. Strangely enough, Kakashi found himself nodding in agreement. A loud crash caught their attention as they looked back to the sparring match.

Things had been hectic. Sakura had tried numerous shuriken and kunai, but the Mole Undead's armor was too thick. The only section of flesh they could see was its head and it was wary of that. Sasuke tried to sneak around for a back attack, but apparently the Mole Undead's hearing was very sharp. It quickly spun around and tore a chunk out of a tree with a blow that just missed the last Uchiha. Naruto seemed to have a little more success. He used his _Kage Bunshin no Jutsu _(Shadow Clone Technique) and tried a mob assault on the Undead. A large number of clones were lost as the Mole Undead swung wildly. Naruto himself managed to plant a solid blow to the Undead's head, sending it stumbling slightly. It wasn't much of a blow though.

Sasuke took advantage of the momentary distraction to go through a set of hand seals

"_Katon: Gokakyuu no Jutsu_ (Fire Release: Grand Fireball Technique)" Sasuke cried as he finished the hand seals. He inhaled deeply before releasing a giant fireball from his mouth straight at the Mole Undead.

The Mole Undead heard the roaring of the flames and turned to see what it was. It felt the fireball coming closer by the temperatures it was giving off. It seemed that the Undead was quickly engulfed by the small blaze.

"Looks like they win," Kakashi commented.

"Takes more than that to defeat an Undead," Leangle retorted.

The flames began to die down and the three Genin dove in to see their handiwork. What they got was a large hole in the ground that was an obviously a tunnel which the Mole Undead had created to escape from the attack.

"Hey, where did it go?" Sakura cried out. Naruto looked down into the hole.

"It dug its way into the ground," he then tensed up and grabbed Sakura before pushing her away. She landed roughly on her rear.

"Hey what was that for!?" she yelled at him but she got her answer as the Mole Undead exploded out of the spot where she'd been standing just a minute ago. It then looked at Naruto and fired the drills in its face at him. The drills were sent flying at the blonde. Sasuke immediately threw some kunai and knocked the drills out of the air, giving Naruto some time to back up.

"Teamwork isn't bad," Leangle spoke.

"It's an important part of being a ninja," Kakashi replied with pride in his voice.

The three Genin leaped away from the Undead as it tried to attack them. Sasuke was breathing heavily after using that jutsu mixed with the training exercise.

'_If The Rider can control a creature this strong, how strong is he as a fighter?_' he asked himself

Sakura was starting to get worried about their chances of winning. This thing was much stronger than any other kind of enemy they had faced in their brief career as ninjas. The Rider had used one of these things to help him defeat those Demon Brothers too. She didn't like their chances of defeating this thing.

"Dammit!" Naruto growled. "What's it going to take to beat this thing?!"

"Is there any way for them to beat it?" Kakashi asked Leangle.

"How do you think it got sealed in the first place?" Leangle retorted. "Someone had to weaken it for sealing."

"I see," Kakashi nodded.

The Mole Undead apparently got impatient and roared angrily before charging at its nearest opponent. In this case, that would be Sakura. The pink-haired kunoichi felt her fear spike as she watched the Undead charge at her with its large claws raised.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto cried in shock. His hands flew into hand seals before unleashing his jutsu. "_Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!_"

The Mole Undead was about to try and crush the pink-haired girl when it was suddenly mobbed again by Naruto and his clones. This time, they latched onto the Undead to make it lose its balance. As more and more clones latched onto the Undead, it began to fall and slam into the ground.

"No one hurts Sakura-chan!" Naruto growled at the Undead.

"_Katon: Gokakyuu no Jutsu!_" Sasuke cried, unleashing his fire jutsu for a second time. With so many Naruto clones holding it down, the Mole Undead couldn't use its arms properly. As the fireball came closer, Naruto leaped from the mess of Undead and clones just as the fireball engulfed them all. The clones popped out of existence, but the Mole Undead was trapped in the tiny inferno. It roared in agony as it got up and began to stumble around. After a few moments, it fell to the ground before an explosion followed.

"Woah!" Naruto cried with wide eyes. "Awesome!"

Leangle chuckled as he and Kakashi walked towards the shrinking flames, "Good work you three. Fighting Undead is a pretty hard thing to do. Beating them is even harder. You should feel proud of yourselves."

"Couldn't have said it better myself," Kakashi 'smiled'.

A gurgling noise caught everyone's attention as the now dead flames revealed the Mole Undead on the ground. The buckle that was around its waist had snapped open to reveal some kind of strange symbols.

"No way!" Naruto gaped. "How can it still be alive after exploding like that?!"

"Because it can't die," Leangle sighed as he drew a Proper Blank. "It has what many people only dream about. Immortality."

Kakashi's eye widened at the words before Leangle tossed the Proper Blank at the downed Undead. When the card made contact with its body, the Undead's body turned green as energy engulfed it before the Mole Undead was sucked inside of the card. When it was sucked inside, the image of a mole appeared on the card before it flew back into Leangle's hand.

"Like I said; congratulations," Leangle spoke with a smile.

"Yatta!" Naruto cried happily. Sasuke smirked victoriously while Sakura smiled happily.

"Well, that's enough excitement for me today," Leangle sighed. "I'll be going on my way. I'll see you all around."

With a small wave, Leangle began walking away into the woods. Behind him were an observing Kakashi and three Genin, happy with their accomplishment.

Leangle walked a fair distance away from the clearing and when he felt he was far enough away, he closed his buckle and slid his Category Ace out. As the purple field stripped the armor from him, Inari came walking through the trees towards Kyle.

"How's my acting?" Kyle grinned.

"Pretty cool," Inari smiled. "Those guys were really surprised when you used that weird summons."

"It was funny to see their faces," Kyle agreed. "Do you think they're strong enough to help now?"

"Maybe," Inari shrugged. "They can fight your summons, but the one you used was a low number. You had to use a high one to fight those Demon Brothers."

"I guess," Kyle shrugged. Well, he couldn't hope for Inari to change too much with just the presence of The Rider alone. Still, there was some progress at least.

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Night soon fell and eventually, everyone had gone to bed. Sakura was bunking with Tsunami since they were both girls while Kakashi, Tazuna, and Naruto were bunking with that Kyle guy in the spare room. He was a mystery and no one in the house seemed to have much to say about him. The basic story was that he came from another country hoping to find work building the bridge. He didn't know about the depression and since he helped Tsunami and Inari out with some goons, they invited him to stay while he worked. Tsunami even said he sacrificed a good portion of his pay to help pay for the C-rank mission they were sent on.

Sakura's thoughts then shifted to dinner. Sasuke and Naruto pigged out to the point of being sick just so they could get back to training sooner. Then Sakura herself had mentioned the torn picture which got Inari upset. Tazuna then explained about Kaiza and everything he had done for Nami up until Gatoh killed him for resisting. His death took the courage away from the people of Nami and from Inari. In fact, it made Inari stop believing in heroes altogether; well until The Rider came. Inari now believed in the possibility of heroes, but his standards of one were high. The other people in Nami were also beginning to brighten up when they heard about how The Rider stood against Gatoh and defeated his men. In the end, Naruto swore that he would prove that more heroes like The Rider existed in the world.

Speaking of which, just who was The Rider? After meeting the guy she had to admit that he was something. To control such a creature like that thing he called a Mole Undead. Although Sakura couldn't understand how that summons was called a mole. It didn't look anything like its namesake. What part of it could prove it was a mole aside from its ability to dig into the ground? It looked more like a demon than an animal summons.

She then thought about the Rider in question as well as the cards he carried. They were amazing. He was able to perform complex jutsus without the use of hand seals. Rather, he just swiped one of those cards across a part of that weapon of his before something would happen. She suspected the floating ability he had displayed was due to a card as well. How many cards did he have?

Most importantly, she wanted to know what he looked like behind that mask. He was a mystery, and for some reason this mystery was one she wanted to get to the bottom of.

Sasuke's thoughts were also of The Rider. He was thinking of how The Rider gained such power and where he could get it. Sasuke was an Avenger so any advantage he could gain over _him_ would be helpful. Maybe, just maybe, he would discover The Rider's secrets and then use them. _He_ would not know what hit _him._

Naruto's thoughts were only of how cool The Rider looked and how fascinating his cards and jutsus were. That armor of his was pretty cool too.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Inside their base, Zabuza was recovering quickly. He was testing his strength by moving and walking before crushing apples. He seemed to be pleased by the results.

"Your strength is returning quickly, Zabuza-sama," Haku observed,

"Yes," Zabuza nodded. "We'll be ready soon. Soon I'll be ready to kill Sharingan Kakashi."

"What about those rumors about The Rider?" asked Haku with some concern.

"If what we heard from the Demon Brothers is true then we will no doubt be running into him too," Zabuza replied darkly.

"Do you think it's true he can do powerful jutsus like summoning without hand seals?" Haku asked.

"He must have some kind of trick up his sleeve," Zabuza frowned. "There is no way someone can just summon without any kind of hand seals. Even so, be prepared for anything. Gatoh has only rumors about him and the Demon Brothers weren't very informative. We will have to be careful."

"Yes, Zabuza-sama," Haku nodded. Even so, there was something about this Rider that worried the ice-user. The Rider was rumored to be able to use ice in his attacks. That worried Haku, but also gave her a small measure of hope. Maybe there was someone else with her bloodline and thus a relation to her. Was The Rider related to her in some way? Of course, she would not even think about abandoning her precious person, but it would be nice to know that she was not the only one with an ice bloodline.

To Be Continued...

A/N: Chapter two is up. I want to thank the people who are supporting this fic with their reviews and non-flames. Pairings are still up in the air. Keep voting.


	3. Chapter 3

I do not own Naruto or Kamen Rider Blade. Those belong to their respective creators and not me. I am only writing this for pure enjoyment and I hope you all enjoy too.

The Forgotten Rider

By Ten-Faced Paladin

Chapter 3: Battle of the Bridge

Kyle yawned as he woke for the day. It was his day off so he was looking forward to relaxing for the day. Well, for part of the day anyway. Looking around, he noticed that Naruto, Sasuke, and Kakashi were all gone from the room. They had all probably woken up and went off to do what ninjas usually did in the mornings Throwing on a set of clothes, he exited the room and started walking down the hall. As he was walking, he almost walked into Sakura, who seemed to be still half-asleep.

"Good morning, Sakura," Kyle greeted politely.

"Good morning, Kyle," the pink-haired kunoichi yawned.

Conversation was kept to a minimum before they reached the dining room. Tazuna and his grandson were already at the table while Tsunami was getting breakfast ready. Sasuke was sitting at the table while Kakashi was leaning against a doorframe while sitting down. He was finally off his crutches, but he looked a little nervous or agitated. Well, agitated if the way he kept clenching his hand into a fist was anyway. Kyle turned his gaze to the table and noticed that a certain blonde was missing.

"Where's Naruto?" Kyle asked, still blinking sleep out of his eyes.

"He didn't come back last night," Sakura sighed. "He stayed out to keep up with the tree exercise. He's always doing stupid stuff like that. He's probably passed out due to chakra exhaustion."

"Are you sure he'll be alright?" asked Tsunami worriedly. "I don't like the thought of a kid outside alone at night, especially with men who work for Gatoh out there."

"Naruto will be fine," Kakashi said reassuringly. "Although he may not look it, he is a decent ninja."

"Hnn," Sasuke snorted. "Knowing Naruto, he probably got himself killed from chakra exhaustion."

"Okay," Kyle sighed, turning to the door. "I'm going to see if he's okay."

"But what about breakfast?" asked Tsunami.

"I'll eat when I get back," Kyle smiled. "If I don't come back fast then you guys can split it among yourselves. I'll just eat some berries or something."

"Oh, okay," Tsunami nodded.

"See you later then," Kyle smiled before slipping on his shoes and heading out the door.

With that, Kyle walked out the door and out into the forest where Kakashi and his team were training. Hopefully Naruto didn't hurt himself too badly. The kid was going to be an important player in the future of a lot of things to come. Kyle was finding that he had to keep reminding himself of what he knew about events to come for Naruto and his team. All he had to do was remember that he knew these things were going to happen.

As he was nearing the general area where he was sure that Kakashi was training his team, it was hard to tell in the early morning fog, he heard voices. One was definitely Naruto, but the other was much softer. Feminine sounding to an extent, but a little deep too. It was either someone who was pretending to be a boy, or was just rather feminine. Kyle took a few steps closer and spotted Naruto picking herbs with a girl who had long dark hair and was wearing a pink kimono. Kyle's eyes instantly widened on seeing her. This was Haku.

Kyle had to admit that Haku was very femenine looking. Personally, he didn't totally buy the ice-user's claim of manhood. Unless they were using a henge, an actor, or had serious mental problems, no one would actually dress like a woman. The claim was only further disproved by the choice of clothes Haku was wearing. No way Haku could be a guy and look that good in women's clothing.

"So what are you doing out here?" Haku asked Naruto curiously.

"Training!" the blonde replied eagerly.

"So, are you a ninja or something?" asked Haku. "I mean, with that forehead protector..."

"Believe it!" Naruto grinned. "I am a ninja!"

"Wow, you must be amazing," Haku blinked. One could almost see Naruto's ego swelling from the compliment. "But, why were you training?"

"I'm training to get stronger!" Naruto replied proudly.

"I see," Haku blinked. "You look pretty strong already."

"Even so, I want to get stronger and stronger!" Naruto replied enthusiastically.

"Why though?" asked Haku.

"Because I'm going to be the number one ninja in my village! I'll make everyone recognize my power!" Naruto answered. "Also, I want to prove something to someone."

"Oh?" Haku replied. "Are you doing that for someone else, or for yourself?"

"Huh?" Naruto blinked in confusion.

"Do you have someone who is important to you?" Haku continued.

At this point, Kyle's fears were laid to rest. This wasn't going to be some kind of preemptive move that came about by his presence. It was just Haku getting some herbs to help Zabuza recover from the pressure points she had used to make him look dead. Just like in the books, she stumbled on Naruto and they begin talking. This would be the point where Naruto would hear the philosophy of protecting his precious people. In the Rider's opinion, it was a very important lesson to learn.

Kyle just walked away from the pair. His first thoughts were towards breakfast, but he wasn't very hungry just yet. That was when his thoughts drifted to another idea.

"Why not?" he asked himself. He reached into his shirt and pulled out a silver buckle which had a clear panel in the front. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out three cards. The first had a stag beetle on the front with a diamond on its abdomen and the word 'Change' written on the side. The second had a Caucasus beetle on it which had a spade symbol and the word 'Evolution' written on it. The last card was the Remote Tapir card.

Kyle took the Ace of Diamonds and slipped it into the buckle before placing the other cards on the ground. He put the buckle to his waist before a silver belt wrapped around his waist. Reaching down to the buckle, he griped a small handle on the side of the panel where he put the Ace into.

"Henshin!" Kyle called before he pulled at the handle. The panel flipped over to reveal a gold diamond on a green panel.

"**Turn Up!**" the buckle called as a blue field was ejected from it that grew until it was big enough for a person to fit through. It had the image of the stag beetle from the card on it. Kyle took a breath before he charged at the field and slipped right through it. However, he had changed again.

He was now donned in a red bodysuit which had silver shoulder pads, boots, gauntlets, and chest plate. Diamond symbols were imprinted on the shoulders and the middle of the chest. On his right arm, there was a black box-like device which had a clear panel on it. The helmet was silver and had two horns sticking from the top which was like the stag beetle's horns. His eyes were green and an ornate gun was at his side. Kyle had changed into Kamen Rider Garren.

"Okay. Glad that worked," Garren sighed in relief as he looked himself over. "Now for stage two."

Garren walked over to the two cards he had left on the ground and picked them up. He also drew his gun before throwing the Evolution Caucasus card into the air.

"**Remote!**" the Rouzer called after Garren slashed the card through. He then pointed it at the falling card and let the beam strike it, releasing the Undead that was kept within it.

This Undead was a Category King. It was covered with golden carapace and had large horns jutting from its head. In its hands were a wicked-looking sword and a broad shield with spike jutting from the sides. Its face seemed to be scowling as it looked over Garren.

"_What do you want?_" it asked, obviously agitated.

"I need a little sparring practice," Garren shrugged as he tensed. "There's a fight coming up with a guy who has a sword and you're the only high-level Undead who uses one."

"_Heh,_" the King of Spades snorted. "_Is that so? Well, I could use the exercise. Who knows? You might actually learn something._"

"I'm betting on it," Garren smirked as he took a stance.

--

Haku was just standing up as she and Naruto finished their conversation. She told him of how her precious person had found her gave her a real meaning to be strong. Naruto seemed to be a little confused at what she was talking about. That was okay though, he would figure it out soon enough. As she was walking away, she decided to keep her ruse up about her gender.

"Oh, by the way," she began, but was suddenly cut off when a loud clang echoed through the forest.

"What was that?!" Naruto cried as he suddenly leaped to his feet.

"I'm not sure," Haku blinked. She had to control herself from reacting like her training taught her. If she did then she was going to give herself away. She looked in the direction of the sounds. "I think it was this way."

"All right!" Naruto nodded. "It's probably that jerk Gatoh or some of his men! You'd better stay here! It could get dangerous!"

Haku made slight nod. Even though she could take care of herself quite easily, she didn't want to blow her cover just yet. Of course, that didn't mean she couldn't follow Naruto if she wanted to. She hadn't heard of Gatoh's men going to fight anyone so what were these sounds of battle?

Naruto rushed forward through the trees towards where Haku had pointed the battle was coming from. He was so intent on figuring out what was going on that he didn't even notice that Haku was following him. The two continued following the noises until they found another clearing. The sight made Naruto freeze and Haku gasp with shock.

Before them was who they assumed to be the Rider. Naruto wasn't sure since the armor was different and Haku wasn't sure since she had never seen the Rider before. All she knew about him was things she had gotten through rumors. Still, the golden insect creature that he was fighting was a sight to behold.

Garren dodged another sword strike from the King as he fired more shots from his gun to try and get himself some space. The King was quick to react though as he used both his shield and his sword to deflect the bullets. It did give Garren the desired space he needed. He reached to the back of his gun and pulled out several panels which held his numbered Rouze Cards. The King knew he couldn't afford to let Garren use any of the cards so he charged to stop him from drawing any.

Garren saw his opponent coming at him and grabbed only one card rather than the combo he had been hoping for. This card had a frog imprinted on it with the word 'Upper' written on the side. It was the Category 3 of Diamonds. Closing the panels, he slashed the card through his gun.

"**Upper!**" the Rouzer called as the image of the card was absorbed into Garren's armor. His right hand clenched into a fist as energy began to ripple through it. The King went for a slash before Garren dashed forward in an unpredicted move. He then used a powerful uppercut which connected with the King's chin with almost explosive force. The King let of a cry of pain as he was thrown several feet away with a throbbing pain in his head.

"This is so cool!" Naruto grinned excitedly. "Seeing the Rider in action is awesome!"

"That's the Rider?" asked Haku. "You've seen him before? How did he do that move? I thought you needed hand seals to do jutsus."

"Eh?!" Naruto gasped, turning around. Haku was right beside him as they watched the fight. "Haku?! What are you doing here?"

"I had to see," Haku replied. "Is that really the Rider?"

"Well, his armor is a little different, but I'm sure it's him," Naruto replied. "I don't know how he does those moves really. I think it has something to do with the cards he keeps around."

"But what is he fighting?" asked Haku.

"Not sure," Naruto shrugged. "It must be one of his summons. Those things are tough, believe it. Me and my team had to fight one. We won of course!"

With the King own for the moment, Garren opened the panels in his gun before drawing three new cards. These ones depicted a whale, a firefly, and a zebra. They had the words 'Drop', 'Fire', and 'Gemini' written on the side respectively. These were the Category 5, 6, and 9 of Diamonds. Garren brought the cards to his Rouzer before slashing them through.

"**Drop! Fire! Gemini!**" the Rouzer called before the combo began. "**Burning Divide!**"

The three images of the cards appeared around Garren before they were absorbed into his body. He gave off a cry as he took a flying leap into the air with the King as his target. Much to Naruto and Haku's shock, his feet ignited into fire before he actually split into two identical Riders. Both Garrens' attack hit home on the struggling to stand King, which only sent him skidding across the forest floor. Both Garrens looked to each other before combining back into one Rider again.

"No way!" Naruto cried. "He can do a _Kage Bunshin_?!"

Haku couldn't find anything to say. The Rider indeed looked like a powerful fighter. It seemed he could control fire as well as ice. Was it a bloodline ability like she first thought, or did it have something to do with the cards he had?

"_I'm not done yet!_" King growled as he got back to his feet.

"Good," Garren chuckled. Naruto instantly recalled the voice from the green-clad Rider who had helped him. "Because there's something I want to check."

Placing his gun back in his holster, Garren reached to his arm where the black object was resting. He grabbed a small flap on the side and pulled it to reveal three new cards that Naruto hadn't seen him use before. He grabbed the first two and held them up. The first had a gold peacock on it with the word 'Fusion' written on it. The second had two snake heads on it in a yin-yang position with the word 'Absorb' written on the side. These two cards were the Category Jack and Queen of Diamonds. Taking the snake card, he slipped it into the black box so the image was visible through the clear panel.

"**Absorb Queen!**" the item announced as the card was inserted. Garren then took the other card and slashed it through a slit in the side of the object. "**Fusion Jack!**"

There was a golden flash of light as the image of a peacock appeared in front of Garren with its tail feathers spread out. The image hovered towards Garren before it passed over him and changed him. His shoulders were covered with gold as was his face and chest. The diamond symbol on his chest had a peacock inside of it. On his back were 6 'wings' which looked like a peacock's tail feathers. His gun had also changed. Now it had a golden blade extending just underneath the barrel of the gun.

"Woah," Naruto gaped as he witnessed the change and saw the result.

"He's so..." Haku whispered. It was like looking at an angel. A golden angel.

Garren Jack Form folded his wings together as he stared the King down again. The Caucasus Undead gripped his sword and shield while Garren JF kept his eyes on him and a solid grip on his gun. Both started circling each other. King made the first move by charging with his weapons raised for another strike. Garren reacted quickly and spread his wings out again. He then quickly took to the air above King, Naruto, and Haku.

"Wow!" Naruto cried in shock. "He can really fly?!"

Haku was still stunned speechless. It seemed the Rider had gotten even stronger in this new form. She was trying to memorize everything she was witnessing so to make a proper report to Zabuza.

"Now I'll show you something Tachibana never did!" Garren JF called as he opened the panels in his gun and drew three new cards. These ones depicted an armadillo, a woodpecker, and a bat. They had the words 'Bullet', 'Rapid', and 'Scope' written on them. These were the Category 2, 4, and 8 of Diamonds.

"**Bullet! Rapid! Scope!**" the Rouzer called as he slashed the three cards through. "**Quick Shot!**"

The images of the three cards floated around Garren JF before they were absorbed into him. Looking down at King, he started a dive bomb. He kept his gun pointed at the Category King before he started firing. The King tried to block, but Garren was accurately hitting exposed portions of his body at a very quick pace. Sparks flew from every blow to King's armor. The golden Undead stumbled back further and further as Garren JF rained shot after shot as he flew closer.

Garren finally came within striking distance, and with the King being distracted, he slashed a huge line across his torso before flying past. He landed on his feet. Small explosions of sparks ripped through the King before he fell to the ground in which a fiery explosion followed him. The flames died down before the King's buckle snapped open to reveal the runes which marked his defeat.

"Nice match," Garren JF admitted as he drew a Proper Blank. "We ought to do this again sometime."

Garren JF then threw the Proper Blank at the King and it stuck fast. The Undead was then absorbed into the card which made the image of the Evolution Caucasus card reappear. The card then flew straight back at Garren JF, who caught it between his fingers.

"Wow!" Naruto shouted out, attracting Garren's attention.

"Hey, you're that orange Konoha-nin," Garren said, pretending to be surprised. "And who's your girlfriend?" He was looking at Haku.

When his eyes landed on Haku, Garren cursed inwardly. He hadn't meant to attract anyone's attention. Now that Haku had seen him in action, she was probably going to tell Zabuza what she had seen and what moves he could use. So much for his training as Garren.

"Wait a sec! Haku's not my girlfriend!" Naruto cried with his face turning slightly red. "We were just talking before we heard you fighting and came to see."

"I see," Garren nodded. "Well, I hope you enjoyed the show."

"You bet we did!" Naruto laughed. "The way you changed and blew that thing away was cool! What is that thing you used anyway?"

"This old thing?" Garren asked while regarding his gun. "Oh, just a tool of the trade. What are you two doing out here so early in the morning?"

"I was gathering herbs," Haku replied calmly.

"Training!" Naruto grinned proudly.

"What a coincidence," Garren chuckled. "I'm training too. Hope you liked the show."

"You bet we did!" Naruto cheered while Haku just nodded. Naruto then decided to ask a question. "Hey, why's your armor so different?"

Haku silently took that question in stride. He wore different armor the last time Naruto saw him? That could mean that his abilities varied depending on his form. What was worse, she had no idea how many forms the Rider possessed. That and how many summons he possessed.

"Now that's my little secret," Garren chided the orange ninja. "You ninjas have your own secrets don't you?"

That answer seemed to be good enough for Naruto, but that didn't mean he had to like it. Haku was likewise disappointed since she couldn't get any more information about the Rider. Still, she had some considerable information for Zabuza. That would be extremely helpful in any upcoming battles she or Zabuza may have with him.

"Anyhow," Garren spoke up. "Shouldn't you be having breakfast? Don't want to be hungry all day do you?"

Naruto's stomach gave a loud grumble, which proved Garren's words correct. Haku just giggled at the sudden sounds. Naruto flushed in slight embarrassment before nodding slightly.

"Well, you two better get out of here," Garren sighed. "I have to get going anyway."

With that, Garren spread his wings and took to the sky again. Haku and Naruto watched him go before he vanished among the trees. When he was gone, Naruto turned to Haku with an apologetic smile on his face.

"He's right. My sensei's probably worried about me. So, I'll see you later, Haku," Naruto smiled before he ran in the general direction of Tazuna's house. Haku watched him go for a moment before she quietly walked towards the base where she and Zabuza had been hiding out.

Zabuza needed to know about what she'd discovered. This kind of information was critical when it was time and if they ever faced the mysterious Masked Rider.

--

Kyle returned to the house looking somewhat worn out. After he left Haku and Naruto behind, he decided to train as Blade so he could get used to it. It put him at somewhat of a disadvantage against Zabuza if things were reliant on swords alone. Luckily, he had a few tricks up his sleeve that Zabuza wouldn't be able to deal with. Still, Kyle let his mind run away from the upcoming battle with Zabuza as he entered the house again.

"Hello, Kyle," Tsunami smiled pleasantly. "It's good to see you back. When Naruto returned without you we got a little worried until he started going off about the Rider."

"Well, Naruto seemed to have made a friend so I didn't want to interrupt," Kyle chuckled. "So what did Naruto say about the Rider this time?"

"Oh, well he went on about all the moves the Rider used," Tsunami smiled. "Something odd he mentioned was that the Rider turned gold and became able to fly. We didn't hear of the Rider being able to do that."

"A little something I'm saving in case of emergencies," Kyle shrugged. "I didn't mean for anyone to see me."

"Can't be helped," Tsunami shrugged with a smile. "Still, it's good to know people are trying hard to help us. You, Naruto, Kakashi-san, the others, if we can beat Gatoh and finish the bridge then I don't think that we'll be ever be able to thank everyone involved enough."

"Don't forget that you're helping too," Kyle smiled. "You helped hire Kakashi and his team too. You're helping just as much as everyone else."

"Good point," Tsunami smiled. "Still, the people of Nami will be very grateful for everyone who helped make this happen."

"I think seeing Gatoh's ticked-off face will be more than enough of a reward for a lot of people," Kyle snickered.

"No doubt," Tsunami giggled in agreement.

As the two were talking, Kyle's stomach began to grumble very loudly. Kyle himself turned a little red at the sounds he was making, but Tsunami only broke out into even more giggles, "A little hungry are we?"

"Um... a little," Kyle blushed embarrassedly.

"Well, you shouldn't have been out training and skipping breakfast," Tsunami scolded in good nature. "You're also lucky that I decided to keep your breakfast safe."

"Lucky me," Kyle chuckled. His mind then turned to the notable absence in the house. "Where is everyone anyway?"

"Well, father is at the bridge as usual," Tsunami explained as she went to retrieve Kyle's share of food. "Inari is in his room. Kakashi and Sakura went to give Naruto some lunch. Naruto himself went to go train. I hear he's getting better at the tree-climbing exercise. Sasuke is off guarding father."

"Okay," Kyle nodded. "It's nice to see that things have been going rather smoothly."

"Yes," Tsunami agreed. "I'm just worried that something is going to happen soon."

"I know that feeling," Kyle nodded as he took out his Rouze Cards. The Ace of Clubs and the Jack of Clubs were sitting at the top of the small pile.

--

Inside of their base, Zabuza was sitting on a chair and pondering what he had heard from Haku.

"So you saw the Rider in action," Zabuza muttered.

"Yes," Haku nodded. She was now donned in her green clothes which helped hide her gender better than some of the clothes she liked to wear.

"Well, this confirms what the Demon Brother had said about him," Zabuza commented. "He can use jutsus without the use of hand seals. You said he used some kind of cards instead?"

"Yes," Haku nodded again. "He had them stored in his weapon which he could get to quickly before slashing them through."

"I see," Zabuza nodded. "And the two attacks you saw, Burning Divide and Quick Shot, how did those attacks work?"

"The Burning Divide technique required him to put three cards through his weapon," Haku explained. "The weapon said the words 'Drop', 'Fire', and 'Gemini'. He then leaped into the air and made a clone of himself. Both of them had their feet catch on fire before they hit their opponent. The force of the blow sent his opponent back several feet. The burn damage alone would be extensive on a human body."

"So I know what to look for," Zabuza commented. "And the Quick Shot?"

"This one had the weapon call 'Bullet', 'Rapid', and 'Scope'," Haku continued. "This attack allowed him to use that projectile weapon of his at a rapid pace. It affected his accuracy to a point in which he never missed. He hit several sensitive points on his opponent's body which was the final blow."

"Okay," Zabuza nodded. Those attacks sounded formidable, but nothing he couldn't deal with. "What about how he made his armor change? The gold version."

"Again, he used his cards," Haku explained. "But he didn't keep them in his weapon like the others. He kept them in a device on his arm. I think it announced them as 'Absorb Queen' and 'Fusion Jack'. An image of a peacock appeared before it fused with him to give him those wings and gold armor."

"Understood," Zabuza nodded. "Now, would you say there was a difference in strength between the two forms?"

"Considerable," Haku answered. "The Burning Divide technique hurt the summons, but didn't defeat it. After the change, the Quick Shot technique is what finished it off."

"I see," Zabuza frowned behind his bandages. "Then if we don't want to be on the receiving end of the Rider's other techniques then we will have to hit fast. Tomorrow we strike."

"Yes, Zabuza-sama," Haku nodded obediently

--

Another day fell to night as Kakashi and Sakura returned with Tazuna. Sasuke wasn't with them since he had gone to continue his training. Tazuna eyed Kyle for a moment before he continued to tell his daughter how their day went. Sakura found this slightly odd that Tazuna didn't get upset with Kyle since he was supposed to be working. Tazuna got angry enough with people who were slacking off on the job as it was. Why was Kyle such an exception?

The boy himself was playing cards with Inari. The younger boy seemed to prefer Kyle's company along with his family. It wasn't long before the night had totally set. As Tsunami was getting dinner ready for everyone, the door opened wide as Sasuke and Naruto came stumbling in. The last Uchiha was half-carrying the blonde boy into the house. Both of them looked a little dirty, making everyone wonder just how strenuous the training was.

"What happened to the two of you?" asked Tazuna in some curiosity. "You try to kill each other or something?"

"Heh," Naruto snickered. "We made it. We made it to the top of the trees."

"Good for you," Kakashi 'smiled'. "Now you two can protect Tazuna tomorrow."

Both boys just snickered. They didn't mind the guard duty. After all, it was part of the mission. Now they had the added training to do a better job for it. The concept of Zabuza going against them didn't scare them as much as it did before. Not that they were scared of the missing-nin, not at all.

"Well, if this is everyone for dinner, I think we can start," Tsunami smiled. It was so nice to have a lively house.

Dinner was its usual spectacle. At least this time Sasuke and Naruto didn't make themselves throw up from eating. Everyone was rather civil at the table for a change. After dinner, Naruto seemed close to nodding off as he rested his head on the table.

Inari looked over at the snoozing blonde for a moment. Kyle steeled himself for what was happening. If he recalled properly, this would be where Inari explodes on everyone, saying they were too weak too stop Gatoh.

Inari's mind was going over memories. He could recall times when Kaiza would help the people of Nami in their times of need. He remembered how he would continue saying that he would protect others with nothing but his two arms if he had to. Of course, that led to the day Gatoh executed Kaiza, and destroyed Inari's belief in heroes. Then, a more recent memory flashed into his mind. It was the day that he met Kyle and first saw his power. The next memory was where he witnessed Leangle defeating the Demon Brothers so to keep his grandfather and the others safe.

Inari released a frustrated sigh, "I don't see why you guys are even here. You aren't strong enough to go against Gatoh. He'll just kill you guys too."

"Hey!" Naruto cried. "The Rider's not the only one who's strong! We fought his summons and we beat it! Not even the Demon Brothers could do that!"

"Big deal!" Inari snapped. "That was a Category 3! The one he used to beat the Demon brothers was Category Jack! It was way stronger than the wimpy one you took out!"

Kakashi listened intently to Inari's words. Category 3? Jack? It sounded like the Rider classified the power levels of his summons. So if what he called the Mole Undead was the second level, then how strong was this one he called Category Jack? Even more curious, how did Inari know about them? Did he make up the system or did the Rider tell him?

"We beat that one, and we can beat the rest!" Naruto shouted back. "Then we'll kick Gatoh's ass right out of Nami!"

"Don't say it so easily!" Inari snapped. Tears were beginning to appear in his eyes. "You don't have any idea what's it's like for us! You sit there with grin on your face as if nothing's wrong! The Rider is the only one who cares and he's the only one strong enough to stop Gatoh! Only strong people can beat other strong people!"

"Are you done?" Naruto asked coldly after a moment of silence. "Is this why you act in your own personal tragedy and just cry?"

Inari blinked in some confusion.

"An idiot like you can just keep crying," Naruto continued. "You little crybaby!"

"Naruto!" Sakura scolded. "That's too much!"

Naruto snorted and shoved himself away from the table. He didn't give anyone a word as he left the room.

--

Inari sat at the edge of one of the docks as he watched the moon over the water. It was one of the times that Nami seemed truly at peace and problems like Gatoh didn't exist.

Kakashi waited in the shadow of the house. He had decided to talk to Inari and try and make him understand Naruto's situation. As he was planning to walk, something interrupted him.

"**Change!**" a drone-like voice echoed through the night air as Kakashi whirled around to face the one behind him.

"_Relax_," came the voice of the Rider. "_It's only me._"

Kakashi was little hard-pressed to believe it. The Rider was donned in a suit of armor he hadn't seen before. It was mainly black and gold with a red heart acting as a visor.

Inari heard the small commotion and turned to see who was there. His face brightened somewhat when he saw Chalice next to Kakashi.

"Onii-chan," Inari smiled. "What are you doing here?"

"_Came by to see how you were doing,_" Chalice shrugged as he walked past Kakashi and sat down next to the younger boy. Kakashi likewise sat on Inari's opposite side. "_Heard about your little fight at dinner._"

"Well, it's true!" Inari frowned. "Only strong guys like you can beat strong guys like Gatoh!"

"_Maybe,_" Chalice shrugged. "_But how do you think strong people start out? Even the strongest people start out weak. Even I was weak at one point._"

Inari seemed shocked at the admission.Kakashi silently agreed with Chalice. No one in history was strong to begin with. Even his old teacher the Yondaime and his home village of Konoha had to start somewhere.

"But...those Rouze Cards helped you get really strong!" Inari spoke out.

"_The Rouze Cards only give me an outlet for my strength,_" Chalice explained. "_If I wasn't truly strong then I would probably become possessed by the likes of the Category Ace._"

There was the category system again. Kakashi listened as he took a mental note of the words used. The Rider classified his cards in a same way as a regular playing deck?

"_To be honest, when I first came to Nami, I wasn't sure what I was going to do,_" Chalice continued. "_If it weren't for a few special people then I might have ended up like the people in town and just do nothing with my time or become a thief._"

"Who are these special people?" asked Inari.

"_The people who gave me the will to fight and grow stronger were the people who took me in and the people who risk their lives building the bridge which Gatoh wants stopped so badly,_" Chalice answered calmly.

Inari's eyes widened at the admission. He helped the Rider become as strong as he was? His mother? His grandfather? All the workers? It was because of them that he was as strong as he was?

"_Yeah,_" Chalice nodded. "_That orange ninja probably feels the same why I do. That was probably why he got so mad. He knows the pain of what you're going through at the least. He was mad because you just seemed to give up while he kept fighting no matter what._"

"You'd be right about that," Kakashi finally spoke. "His name is Naruto. In a lot of ways, he's had it worse than you, Inari. He has no parents. Almost the entire village hates him as well. He's always desperate for acknowledgement and just to become a ninja was an uphill battle for him. He's had very little encouragement along the way."

Inari looked to Kakashi a she heard about Naruto's life. Chalice listened carefully. He knew that after things wrapped up in Nami, he was going to Konoha. He knew a lot of the villagers held a deep hatred of Naruto for the thing he kept prisoner inside of him. It was ironic. The villagers were hoping to get rid of Naruto for the Kyuubi's crimes when he was the one person making sure they don't happen again. Still, Chalice promised himself that if he caught anyone trying to hurt Naruto for those reasons, they would be dealt with _harshly_.

"Rider-san's guess about Naruto's anger is probably correct," Kakashi continued. "Out of all of us, he probably understands you best."

Inari remained silent after the talk. All three males just sat silently and watched the night sky. Eventually, Inari stood up and said a silent 'goodnight' before heading inside. Kakashi and Chalice continued sitting.

"_Do you have questions, Kakashi-san?_" Chalice finally asked.

"You know who I am," replied Kakashi.

"_Ninja of a thousand jutsus,_" Chalice snickered. "_There's always someone who knows about you and spreads the information. Took me a while to recognize you._"

"I see," Kakashi nodded. He was a familiar face in a lot of places. "Inari mentioned a system which you categorize your summons."

"_He let that slip, eh?_" asked Chalice. "_I do. Category 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, Jack, Queen, King, and Ace. Category 2 is the weakest while Ace would be the strongest._"

"I see," Kakashi nodded. So that was the full range of his summons' power. His team seemed hard-pressed to beat a Category 2. Well, they were beginners. What worried Kakashi was his thoughts of how much stronger the other Categories were compared to the one his team had fought. Naturally, the Rider would have to be stronger if he wanted to control them with just words. The larger animal summons that he had witnessed usually wanted something like food or something before they did anything.

"What do you plan to do if we beat Gatoh?" Kakashi finally asked.

"_Depends on how things play out,_" Chalice shrugged. "_If we do win then Gatoh's hold here crumbles. It won't stop him from trying other dirty tricks to get it back. I'd stay until we're sure he's gone for good._"

Kakashi again nodded. The two remained quiet for a little while longer before Chalice got up and left, leaving the masked Jounin to his thoughts.

The sun rose the next morning like it always did for the people of Nami. Inari heard his mother talking outside and he just decided to sleep a little more. He turned in his covers and noticed a small note next to his futon with a card on it. Now curious, Inari took the card and gazed at it. It depicted a very large gold spider and had the word 'Evolution' printed on the side. This was the Category King of Clubs, Evolution Tarantula.

With surprised gasp, Inari turned to the note.

'_Good morning Inari_

_After some thought about last night, I decided to lend you this Rouze Card. It is a very powerful one, but also very noble. I think something may happen today so I left it with you. The creature inside is named Shima. He's very pleasant and will protect you should you need him. However, if you wish to unlock his power then you must be truly strong. It is in this strength that you will find the power of a king._

_Sincerely_

_Kyle._

Inari looked down at the Category King card in his hand. He was very surprised that Kyle would entrust such a thing to him of all people. Still, Inari would keep it safe and return it when Kyle came back.

"Inari," Tsunami called from downstairs. "Could you come help me?"

Getting out of bed, Inari went to get some clothes on before tucking the card into his pocket. It was later that he would be thanking Kyle for the gift he had given him when everyone would return.

--

Kyle and Tazuna were being guided to the bridge by Sakura, Sasuke and Kakashi. The Jounin was finally recovered from the battle with Zabuza and was now helping in the mission beyond training. Kakashi had left Naruto behind since he gauged that the blonde wouldn't be able to use his body for the day so he could sleep in.

"We should be able to complete the bridge soon if we keep up the pace we're at," Tazuna spoke optimistically.

"Gatoh's going to get desperate then," Kyle snickered. "I only wish we can see his face when we finally finish this thing. He's going to be pissed."

"No doubt," Tazuna chuckled.

As the small group came to the bridge, they noticed that there wasn't anyone around. That in itself was odd since some of the workers who hoped for overtime pay came early to get some work done.

"Maybe they're working at the very end," suggested Sakura.

"Let's go check." sighed Tazuna as they started walking. Kyle started feeling tense. Something was wrong.

The group continued walking until they came to the end of the bridge. This was when their blood began to run cold. Strewn about in front of them were six bodies of the workers who had come early that morning. Some were groaning in pain while one or two others looked like they were actually dead.

"What…what happened here?" gasped Tazuna.

"I'll give you three guesses," Kyle frowned as he reached into his shirt to grab the Rider Buckle he had brought along. So much for a secret identity.

As they were transfixed by the violence, a large fog began rolling in. It covered everything from view. Even the ends of the bridge were hidden from sight.

"This mist!" Kakashi gasped. He then turned to his team. "Sasuke! Sakura! He's here!"

Kakashi, Sasuke, and Sakura each took a point at Tazuna's side and front. Kyle took the back as he drew the buckle and another card. This one had the image of a Kabuto beetle with a spade on its abdomen. The word 'Change' was written on the side. This was the Category Ace of Spades.

Kyle slid the card into the buckle, which looked exactly the same as the Garren Buckle. He then placed it on his waist and a red belt circled around him and secured itself. The sudden pulsing noise caught the ninjas' attention

"Henshin!" Kyle called as he pulled the handle on the buckle, revealing a red panel with a gold spade on it.

"**Turn Up!**" the buckle called before a blue field was ejected from it. This one had the image of the kabuto beetle on it and grew to the size in which a person could run through it.

Kyle dashed forward toward the field with the ninja's unsure of what he was doing. Tazuna, on the other hand, had a smirk on his face. Zabuza was in for a surprise. Kyle kept running until he passed right through the field, causing it to fade away. Of course, Kyle had changed again.

He was now donned in a blue bodysuit with silver armor that covered his chest, shoulders, helmet, forearms and legs. His chest had a silver spade depicted on it with a spade on each of his shoulders. His helmet was mainly sliver with a single horn. His eyes were a blood red as well. On his side was a sword which had panels inside the hilt. Kyle had changed a fourth time. He was now Kamen Rider Blade.

"So," the deep voice of Zabuza echoed through the mist. "The Rider was one of the workers on the bridge. He's in a new form too."

Kakashi, Sakura, and Sasuke were all shocked by the revelation that Kyle was the Rider that they had talked to. He was living under the very same roof that they were! How could they have been so blind?

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Kakashi," Zabuza chuckled in the centre of the mist. "I see you still have those kids with you."

The two younger ninja had already drawn kunai to help defend themselves. Blade had stepped closer to Tazuna before drawing his own sword. His hand was positioned properly so he could reach his cards fast should he need to. He would probably have to since they were dealing with Zabuza and Haku. Things were not going to be easy.

"That one is still shaking," Zabuza snickered as he mentioned Sasuke. It was true. The last Uchiha was trembling. "How shameful."

Sasuke's face turned into s light smirk at the comment. It was like he knew something that Zabuza didn't. Of course, the smirk didn't last long when seven Zabuzas came out of the mist and landed in a circle around the group of five.

"_Mizu Bunshin_," Blade observed.

"Heh," Sasuke snickered. "I'm shaking in excitement."

Each of the Zabuza clones only seemed to smirk at the statement.

"Go for it, Sasuke," Kakashi 'smiled'.

That was all the encouragement Sasuke needed. It was also when the signal in which the water clones chose to attack. All seven of them charged with their blades raised to kill the five targets. Before they could take a proper first step, Sasuke seemed to blur before something slashed through the clones, reducing them back into water. He came to a stop in the same position that he began at before standing straight.

"I guess that training paid off," Blade chuckled.

"Some help you were," Sasuke shot back.

"Hey, Zabuza's seen your techniques before," Blade retorted. "He hasn't seen mine though."

Two more figures began stepping out of the fog to reveal Zabuza himself walking alongside a masked person younger than him. Blade quickly realized that it was Haku. Thanks to Haku's mask, there was no facial recognition, but Zabuza's eyes seemed somewhat disappointed.

"So the kid beat all the clones, eh?" he sighed. "Here I was hoping that the Rider would at least get one. His form is different than what you said, Haku."

"Forgive me," Haku spoke meekly.

"No, you said yourself that the Rider could change forms," Zabuza commented. "Why don't you take the boy. Kakashi and the Rider are mine."

"Yes, Zabuza-sama," Haku nodded.

Blade, Kakashi, and Sasuke took up positions in front of Sakura and Tazuna. Blade gripped his sword with some nervousness. This wasn't going to be like fighting the Demon Brothers. Not in the least.

--

CRASH!!

Tsunami gasped in shock as her front door was slashed open by numerous sword strikes. She turned to see what was happening and saw two men with swords standing in the hole in the wall. One had an eye patch and was shirtless while the other wore a thick jacket and a hat.

"So you're Tazuna's daughter," Hat snickered. "I'm going to have to ask you to come with us."

As this emergency was unfolding, Inari was up in his room, looking at the Evolution Tarantula which Kyle had lent him. His note had said that he had to be truly strong if he wanted to use it to help his family.

"Truly strong," Inari pondered to himself. "What does that mean?"

His musings were suddenly cut off as crashes and his mother's screams echoed from downstairs. Inari was up on his feet in a flash and running downstairs to see what was happening. What he stumbled on was his mother on the ground before two swordsmen who looked like they meant business.

"Mom!" Inari cried in fear.

"Inari!" Tsunami cried as the two swordsman noticed her son. "Run! Run away from here!"

The two swordsmen seemed to consider Inari for a moment before Hat spoke up, "Should we grab the kid too?"

"Don't you dare!" Tsunami cried getting to her knees. "If you so much as touch him then I'll bite my own tongue out! Gatoh wants me unharmed doesn't he?!"

Inari gasped at his mother's words. At this point, he was so scared that tears were running down his face.

"Hnn," One-Eye frowned in disappointment. "Thank your mother, kid. She just saved your life."

Both swordsmen grabbed Tsunami and tied her hands together. She didn't make a sound as she was led outside. Inari watched them go and slid down the wall until he was sitting. He clutched his knees and began to cry.

"Mom," he sobbed. "I'm…I'm so weak. I can't even protect you."

As he was crying, a tear dropped from his face and landed on the Rouze Card that he had clutched in his hand. As the tear fell on the Rouze Card, the image of the tarantula began to move slightly.

'_Do you truly believe that?_' asked a mature male voice in Inari's mind.

"Huh?" Inari blinked, looking around to see who was talking.

'_You have many sources of strength,_' the voice continued. '_You just haven't drawn from them._'

"I…haven't" Inari blinked.

'_Have you forgotten the words of the people you look up to already?_' asked the voice. '_Let me show you._'

Inari began to feel wind picking up around him. As it blew, he began to hear the voices of people, people that he knew.

"_Are you done? Is this why you act in your own personal tragedy and just cry?"_

"_The people who gave me the will to fight and grow stronger were the people who took me in and the people who risk their lives building the bridge which Gatoh wants stopped so badly._"

"_Protect whatever is important to you with these two arms. Even if it costs you your life."_

Inari felt the memories of Naruto, Chalice, and Kaiza run through his mind. Slowly, he stood up again while wiping the tears.

"Will I…will I be able to become strong like Kyle-Nii-chan and Naruto-Nii-chan? Like dad?" Inari asked quietly, not expecting an answer.

'_So long as you remember the source of your strength, you will be strong as well,_' the voice replied, giving Inari the conviction he needed.

Outside, Tsunami was being led towards a small boat in which the two swordsmen used to get to the house.

"You know," One-eye snickered. "A face like yours makes me want to cut it up. A shame Gatoh wants you unharmed."

"Shut up and walk," Hat grumbled.

The two swordsmen and their prisoner got a little farther down the dock when someone decided to interfere.

"Stop!"

Both of the swordsmen turned around to see Inari standing at the other end of the dock. Tsunami likewise turned and gasped when she saw her son.

"Let go of my mom!" Inari cried out before he started running at the two men.

"Looks like we get to cut something after all," One-eye laughed.

"No!" Tsunami cried. "I swear I'll-URK!"

Tsunami's cry was cut off by a chop to the neck, which knocked her unconscious. As she fell to the ground, the two swordsmen drew their weapons of choice. They were expecting to slice up a kid, but in the blink of an eye, they got something else.

What was in front of them was definitely not a little kid. What was standing in front of them was a man-sized creature that was mostly purple with an orange arm and orange spots on its chest and shoulders. It had four spider-like legs which were sticking out of its back. The left legs were orange. Its head was purple and had a purple visor, but both swordsmen could see a skeletal face behind it.

Shima/Tarantula Undead had both swords held in his hands. He was glaring at the two swordsmen, who were beginning to look somewhat panicked. He only had use of Inari's body to a limited extent. It would be up to the young man to fight for himself.

"_Inari!_" he called to the boy he had fused with for the moment. "_You now have an outlet for your strength! Use it!_"

"Right!" Inari agreed as his consciousness took full control of the Tarantula Undead body.

Inari/Tarantula Undead gripped the blades tighter before pushing the two men back. Both still wore faces of complete shock.

"What the hell is this kid?!" Hat cried.

"Who cares," growled One-eye. "Just kill it!"

With that action in mind, the two swordsmen charged with battle cries at Inari/Tarantula Undead. The boy turned Undead was still afraid, but he remembered what was at risk and the people he wanted to help and also made him strong if he would let them.

"Raaaaahh!" Inari/Tarantula Undead cried as he charged

One-Eye went for a sideways slash to remove his head while Hat went for one to pierce his heart. They only had to blink before the monster they were fighting vanished. They were somewhat confused at the sudden disappearance. All of a sudden, they felt someone brush between them. They both looked down to see Inari get past them. Both of the swordsmen turned around to try and get the kid, but they blinked again before the Tarantula Undead appeared in the place of the small boy.

"Go away!" Inari/Tarantula Undead cried as he punched both swordsmen. The force of the blows sent them sprawling.

"Mom!" Inari/Tarantula Undead as he dashed over to the unconscious form of his mother. The image of the Undead vanished to reveal Inari again.

"You little brat!" Hat growled as he and his partner got their on their feet again. One-eye had some blood dripping down his chin. Hat's eye was beginning to swell. "We're going to slice you up good!"

Inari clenched his hands as he prepared to fight again. He still had the Rouze Card his nii-chan had given to him and he would use it to protect his mother.

The action was considered unneeded when two orange blurs came through the air and landed kicks to the faces of the two swordsmen, dropping them to the ground unconscious.

"Naruto-nii-chan!" Inari cried happily.

"Hey, Inari!" Naruto smirked proudly. "Looks like this hero didn't have to drop by when there was one here all along. How'd you do that cool trick?"

"Heh," Inari smirked, trying to hide just how happy he was. "Kyle-nii-chan gave me this one."

"Kyle did?" Naruto blinked. "How'd he do that?"

"This!" Inari answered as he revealed the Rouze Card.

"Eh?" Naruto blinked. "But that's one of the cards the Rider uses!"

"That's right!" Inari smiled. "Kyle-nii-chan is the Rider."

"EHHH?!" Naruto gaped. "No way!"

"Yes way!" Inari smiled. He looked up to Naruto and noticed that the blonde's face was more serious.

"Hey, Inari," Naruto spoke. "Sorry about calling you a crybaby. Crybabies aren't strong like you. Heck, you used the same power the Rider could do."

Inari started sniffling as more tears came to his eyes. He was visibly struggling to try and keep the tears in.

"Damn it," he sniffled. "I don't wanna cry! Now you'll make fun of me again."

"Why would I do that?" asked Naruto. "It's perfectly okay to cry when you're happy."

Naruto then turned to the direction of the bridge. He was about to start running when he turned his head to look back at Inari.

"I can leave this to you, right?" asked Naruto. Inari nodded immediately before Naruto smirked and started running. "Good. I'm off to the bridge. We heroes are always busy!"

--

CLANG!

The kunai and senbon of Sasuke and Haku met each other as the two began their fight. As the two were fighting, the others watched. It wasn't as if they were just watching. Both Kakashi and Zabuza had their eyes on the battle, but on each other as well. Neither of them moved an inch. Sakura was hanging back while silently cheering her Sasuke-kun on while guarding Tazuna. Blade kept his own gaze on the missing-nin and immediate area around him. Who knew what tricks he was capable of?

"All you can do is dodge or block my attacks," Sasuke smirked. There was a flash of movement was all there was before both ninjas appeared back at their respective sides

"Haku," Zabuza snickered. "You do realize that you're going to be defeated if this continues."

"I do," Haku answered before she stood straight. Her hands then went into a single hand seal as cold air began to radiate from her body. "_Makyo Hyo Sho (_Demonic Ice Mirrors)."

The witnesses' eyes widened as the water rose up from the ground and froze into large slabs of ice which looked like actual mirrors.

"Oh no," Blade gasped.

"You know about this technique?" asked Kakashi.

"Just a whisper," Blade hissed, making up another lie to cover his tracks. "About a line of _Kekkei Genkai _(Bloodline Limit)users who could control ice. It was thought they were wiped out during the cleansing but there were one or two people who believe at least one of them were left."

Haku flinched at his words, which was more than enough for Kakashi to see. Obviously what Blade was saying rang true. This masked ninja was the last of these ice-users. Sasuke was going to have to be very careful of he wanted to get out of this.

Soon, Sasuke was surrounded on all sides by the ice mirrors.

"Now, let me show you my true speed," Haku spoke before stepping inside of one of the mirrors. Her reflection was then produced on every single mirror.

Sasuke was caught by surprise as he tried to figure out which Haku was the real one. Inside of her mirrors, Haku drew a senbon needle and tossed it at Sasuke. The last Uchiha couldn't even move before it whizzed past him and cut his skin.

"Ng!" Sasuke grunted as the pain registered.

"Sasuke!" Kakashi cried as he began running to the dome of ice mirrors.

As Kakashi was moving, a blur appeared ahead of him to reveal Zabuza., a smirk visible through the bandages which covered his face.

"Your opponent is me, Kakashi," he smirked. "Besides, once Haku uses that technique, her target never survives."

Kakashi frowned underneath his mask. That is, until someone else caught their attention.

"Hello, you forget about me?"

Zabuza turned to the voice and saw Blade charging at him with his sword raised, ready to strike. Acting quickly, Zabuza drew his own sword to parry the quick blow. The two blades met with a shower of sparks. Despite Blade's weapon of choice being smaller, it was made to fight against things beyond human while Zabuza's was larger, but made for fighting humans. In all, they were basically even in sword strength.

"Go, Kakashi!" Blade barked as he kept Zabuza focused on their own battle.

"Right," Kakashi nodded before he attempted to get to the dome of mirrors again.

"Oh, no you don't," Zabuza chuckled before making a series of hand seals even with his sword in his hands. "_Mizu Bunshin no Jutsu!_"

Kakashi didn't get too far before he was surrounded by a number of Zabuza clones. There were about 10 in total. Even if the clones had 1/10th of the power the original possessed the numbers he was against would make things difficult.

"There," Zabuza smirked. "Problem solved."

"I thought you would fight against Kakashi first," Blade grunted as he and Zabuza kept their swords pressed against each other. The Rider system enhanced his abilities, but Zabuza was proving to be powerful in his own right.

"Normally," Zabuza replied. "But you're a larger threat. I know next to nothing about you so it would be smarter if I took you out first."

"Wonderful," Blade grunted before pushing himself away from the missing-nin. He grabbed a small flap on the hilt of the sword and pulled out several panels which had cards tucked in them. Zabuza instantly knew what Blade was going to do. He was going to use those cards of his to do one of his jutsus.

"I don't think so!" Zabuza frowned as he focused chakra into his legs and leaped at Blade to stop him from using his cards.

Blade only managed to reach for one card before Zabuza was almost upon him. Deciding to forgo his original idea, he managed to grab another card. This one depicted a trilobite with the word 'Metal' written on the side. This was the Category 7 of Spades. Quickly grabbing it, he slashed it through his sword Rouzer.

"**Metal!**" was what Zabuza heard before he slashed at Blade.

"No!" Sakura gasped as she saw Zabuza try to cut the Rider down the middle. While she was worried about her 'Sasuke-kun', she didn't really want anyone to die.

Zabuza smirked as he chalked up another kill, but he quickly realized that something was wrong. Looking to the shoulder where he had hit Blade, he saw that the Rider looked different. It was like his entire body had turned to steel. Zabuza's sword may have been able to cut through flesh and bone, but steel was another matter altogether, especially the high-grade stuff.

"Some kind of replacement technique?" Zabuza muttered.

"If you thought that was cool, wait until you see this!" Blade chuckled before he reached to his sword, with the panels still out. He grabbed another card which had a buffalo on it with the word 'Magnet' imprinted on it. This was the Category 8 of Spades. Thankfully, Zabuza's hands were full with his sword so Blade could slash the card through.

"**Magnet!**" the Rouzer called before the image of the card appeared between the two fighters and was absorbed into Blade's chest.

Zabuza didn't see anything happening immediately, but he did see that Blade's body was returning to normal. Apparently using another card deactivated the previous one unless it was part of a combination. He was going to bring his sword back for another blow, but found that his sword wasn't moving. He also noticed hammers from the downed workers sliding across the ground towards the two. Even Zabuza's own hitae-ate was being tugged toward the armored fighter.

"You magnetized your own armor!" Zabuza growled.

"You got it!" Blade laughed before he revealed a third card he had drawn when Zabuza was distracted by the events. The Category 3 of Spades, which depicted a lion with the word 'Beat'. He quickly slashed it through his sword.

"**Beat!**" the Rouzer cried as the image of the card appeared and was absorbed into Blade's arm. It became engulfed in energy before the armored warrior put a solid punch into Zabuza's gut, sending him sprawling and letting go of his sword.

Kakashi just planted a kunai into one of the clone's necks, turning it back into water when he saw the real Zabuza get sent across the ground. Despite the pain he was feeling from the cuts he had suffered from some of the clones, he smirked. It looked like Kyle could handle himself after all.

Blade massaged his shoulder. Despite the Metal Trilobite card enhancing his defence, he could still feel some of Zabuza's previous attack go through. It was sore but at least he still had both his arms. Seeing Zabuza down, he thought that now was a good time if any to finish him off. He reached to his sword and spread out the cards again before picking the three he would need for his combination attack.

Blade quickly drew the three cards from his sword. These ones depicted a locust, a deer, and a cheetah. They had the words 'Kick', 'Thunder', and 'Mach' imprinted on the sides. These were the Category 5, 6, and 9 of Spades. Blade held the cards and brought them down to his Rouzer.

"**Kick! Thunder! Mach!**" the Rouzer called as the cards were passed through. "**Lightning Sonic!**"

The images of the three cards appeared behind Blade as he raised his sword into the air. As they appeared, the metal things stuck to his body fell to the ground. When the images were fused into him, Blade took a flying leap into the air as he seemed to blur from the speed he was using. He extended his foot and it became engulfed in electricity, aimed right at Zabuza.

The missing-nin in question was recovering when he saw the attack coming. His hands went together and began flashing through hand seals. As Blade collided with Zabuza, the missing-nin suddenly collapsed into a large amount of water. Blade tumbled across the ground with a thud before coming to a stop.

"Damn!" Blade cursed as he got up. "_Kawimari_."

Looking around, he saw the real Zabuza picking up his sword that was resting near the pile of metal.

"You caught me off guard, Rider," Zabuza spoke up. "Not many can claim that."

A cry from Sasuke caught everyone's attention. Haku was cutting him up with all the senbon needles she was throwing in the middle of the dome of mirrors that she had erected around him.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura cried. She only watched the battles unfolding and she quickly drew a kunai. "Tazuna, I'll have to leave you for a second."

"Go ahead," Tazuna frowned. "Looks like the kid needs your help."

Sakura nodded and stepped forward to get closer to the battle. Starting with a run, she took a leap into the air to throw a kunai over to her crush.

"Sasuke-kun! Here!" Sakura cried as she threw the kunai towards the last Uchiha.

The kunai flew through the air closer to the dome of ice. Sasuke, who was bleeding from several points, looked up to see the approaching weapon. He tried to keep his balance so he could catch the approaching knife, but as it got closer, it suddenly stopped in midair as Haku emerged from one of her mirrors and grabbed it.

"She caught it?!" Sakura cried.

Sasuke groaned as his legs failed underneath him as he dropped to the ground. Haku merely watched Sasuke drop as she gripped the kunai for herself to use. Sasuke attempted to get back onto his feet as Haku seemed to consider her next action. However, as she was doing so, a shuriken cut through the mist and collided with the surface of her mask and knocked her out of the mirror.

"Huh?" Sakura blinked.

"About time you got here, Naruto!" Blade called into the mist.

"Didn't you know heroes are supposed to come late?" the voice of the hyperactive ninja. There was a sudden explosion of smoke with the sounds of fireworks before the orange-clad ninja. "Naruto Uzumaki at your service!"

"Then why don't you help us then?" Blade groaned as he raised his sword again. "We're going to need it."

"You got it, Kyle-nii!" Naruto smirked.

With that, Naruto dashed for the dome of ice mirrors and leaped inside of them. Haku was likewise quick to recover as she dashed back into the frozen slabs.

"Dobe!" Sasuke growled. "Now you're trapped in here too!"

"Who are you calling a dobe!?" Naruto barked. "We'll have an easier time taking her down if there are more of us!"

Outside of the dome, Zabuza began to snicker, "Those two are done for. Haku will kill them. She's the perfect tool."

"I'm sure she is," Blade frowned from behind his helmet. He didn't much care for Zabuza's view of tools and people. If one wished to be a tool of another then that was their business. Blade himself would rather be a fighter than a tool. "Are you ready to continue?"

"The question is; are you, Rider?" asked Zabuza. "I saw how many panels you have in that sword. There were nine of them. You used six of them so far. That leaves three. I also know you have at least two more in that armband of yours. I hope those cards are good ones or else you're not going to last long against me."

Blade knew Zabuza was right. All he had left were Category 4: Tackle Boar, Category 2: Slash Lizard, and Category 10: Time Scarab. While they each would be useful, Blade had to be careful and use them when he was sure he would benefit from them. That left the Fusion Eagle, Absorb Capricorn, and Evolution Caucasus in the armband. He wanted to save the King for emergencies, but right now it seemed time for things to step up a notch.

"I guess I have no choice then," Blade sighed as he sheathed his sword. He reached up to his arm and opened his device. Inside were three cards. He drew one that had an eagle and one that had two goat heads in a yin-yang position. These were the Category Jack and Queen of Spades. Taking the Queen, Blade slid it into his device.

"**Absorb Queen!**" the device called before Blade slashed his second card through. "**Fusion Jack!**"

Zabuza's eyes widened when the golden eagle appeared in front of Blade. The golden radiance made the mist look like gold dust which caused pause in the battles to view the event.

The eagle fused with Blade to give his face a gold color along with gold shoulders and a gold chest plate. There was an eagle engraved in the spade on his chest. On Blades' waist, his sword became longer as the blade extended. On his back, a pair of red and silver wings was spread out.

"So this is the golden form Haku told me about," Zabuza frowned. "Strange. She told me it was more like a peacock, rather than an eagle. No matter. Let's see what you're made of now."

Blade drew his new extended sword and took to the air. Zabuza kept an eye on his flying opponent. He hadn't been faced with an opponent that could actually fly. He had faced many ninjas who could jump high enough to be mistaken for flight, but now he was facing the real deal.

Blade built up speed as he circled around Zabuza before going into a dive with his weapon raised. Zabuza stood ready as Blade sped in closer. Blade slashed down with his weapon as Zabuza brought his own up again. A shower of sparks followed as the two pieces of metal collided with each other. Zabuza felt himself actually being pushed back from the sheer force of the blow. This proved to the missing-nin that this golden form was considerably stronger than the silver one.

Inside the dome of ice mirrors the battle was growing considerably worse. Haku had cut the boys up considerable with her needles and both boys had some sticking out of their bodies. Sasuke even had activated his _Sharingan,_ (Copy Wheel Eye) but it was only enough to help him dodge the strikes.

The worst point was when Sasuke took a devastating hit from Haku's needles, making him into something resembling a pincushion.

"Why did you do that?!" Naruto gasped as he held Sasuke, who couldn't hold himself up any longer.

"Don't know. My body just moved on its own," Sasuke coughed. Blood was leaking down his lips. "You know, I had sworn that I wouldn't die until I killed someone; my own brother.

Sasuke then turned to look at Naruto, "Don't you die too."

Sasuke then went limp. Naruto was frozen by what he had witnessed.

"SASUKE!" Naruto cried loudly.

"Is this the first time you had a friend die?" asked Haku. "You'd better get used to it. For this is the path of the shinobi."

"SHUT UP!" Naruto roared. He turned a hateful glare towards Haku in the mirror next to him. His eyes had turned red and slitted.

As Kakashi finished off the last of the water clones, he felt it. A pulse of chakra that felt incredibly vile and destructive. It was a chakra that he recognized very easily. It was the same chakra that belonged to the Kyuubi.

"Oh no," he gasped. "Has the seal broken?"

Zabuza and Blade likewise felt the chakra pulse. Blade, having never felt the Kyuubi chakra before but knowing when it made appearances, guessed right about the source. Zabuza on the other hand was in the dark.

Blade was feeling a sense of foreboding in his gut. There was something beyond the disgust the demon chakra usually emitted. Something that made Blade feel agitated for some reason. It was like looking at someone you didn't like. Just seeing them in front of you grated on your nerves.

As the feeling began to grow, the body of Haku could be seen crashing through one of the ice mirrors she had made. Her mask was cracked. Naruto could also be seen lunging for her with his fist raised.

"Looks like we should finish things up," Zabuza frowned, seeing his tool being beaten.

"At least we agree on something," Blade nodded as he spread the panels of his sword and grabbed another card.

The two swordsmen looked at each other before they both charged as if commended by a hidden signal. Both had their weapons raised and were preparing to finish their opponent and end the battle. As they came closer to each other, Blade slashed his card through his Rouzer.

"**Slash!**" the Rouzer cried as an image of a lizard with a blade tail appeared. It was quickly absorbed into Blade's body. Energy began to collect in the blade of his sword while he came closer to his opponent.

"Die!" cried Zabuza as he let his strike loose. Blade remained silent as he did the same.

SHANK!!

Things were still for a moment before Zabuza's sword was cut in half with the top half gone flying. Zabuza himself grunted and fell to the ground with a deep gash in his chest. He'd live, but only if he got some medical attention. Otherwise he would die of blood loss.

The missing-nin looked up at the Rider just as the tip of his blade was placed at his to his throat. Blade then kicked the remains of Zabuza's sword out of his hand.

"Momochi Zabuza," Blade spoke, his voice sounding hollow. "You have lost this battle and your mission is a failure. Will you end this or will you force my hand?"

"Heh," Zabuza smirked. "This would be where I call you soft, but since you aren't a ninja then there's no helping it."

"No, I'm not a ninja," Blade spoke softly. "However, I am a Kamen Rider. My duty is to the people who cannot protect themselves. You are a threat to those people. Since you will not surrender, I will have to eliminate you!"

Blade opened the panels of his sword only slightly so he could grab one of his last cards. He kept it hidden from sight as he brought his sword back to separate Zabuza's head from his shoulders.

"Zabuza-sama!" came the cry of a feminine voice.

That was all the notice that Blade. Well, that and the ice mirror which was quickly appearing in front of him. Acting quickly, Blade slashed his card through his sword. This one depicted a scarab insect with the word 'Time' written on the side.

"**Time!**" the Rouzer called as all went still. The Kamen Rider looked around and saw that not even the mist was moving. Acting quickly, Blade walked past the emerging Haku and delivered deep slashes to Zabuza's arms. If he recalled what Kakashi did in the original battle, the wounds were deep enough to render the missing-nin's arms useless.

Blade came to a stop behind Zabuza as he felt the effects of the Time Scarab wear off. Everything began moving again. Haku just finished coming out of her mirror with her arms spread to shield Zabuza, but instead she found herself shielding him from nothing. Zabuza also suddenly felt his arms go limp as wounds appeared on them. Blood ran down his arms as he tried to recall when Blade had moved. He then recalled the card.

"What…what was that card?" Zabuza asked while gritting his teeth.

"The Ten of Spades," Blade answered without turning around. "The Time Scarab. It allowed me to stop time for a short period to avoid hurting Haku and render your arms useless."

Kakashi's eyes widened in shock at Blade's explanation of the card he had just used. His own _Sharingan_ was uncovered, yet he hadn't even seen the Rider move. The only reason he was looking in their direction was because he had caught Haku's movements heading in that direction. Still, the ability to stop time itself? Just how powerful were these cards the Rider possessed?

"Why?" asked Zabuza. "Why not just kill us both and be done with it?"

"Code of the Kamen Riders," Blade spoke. "The first is to defend those who cannot defend themselves. The second is to never take lives needlessly. I do not see it necessary to end your life when I could incapacitate you just as easily."

"Your folly," Zabuza growled. "When you give mercy to an enemy, that's when they come back from behind and end your life."

"Maybe in your world," Blade frowned. "But I hold fast to my ideals."

Loud sobs broke through the mist and Blade knew that Sakura had come across Sasuke's body. He knew the last Uchiha wasn't dead, but Haku's techniques could make one look like that. He would get up in time.

"Then we are alike in that way," Zabuza coughed.

"Zabuza-sama," Haku fretted over her precious person.

"He he he he he he he," a new voice echoed through the fog. "Looks like you're pretty beat up there, Zabuza."

The attention of the ninjas and Kamen Rider was turned to the end of the bridge as the mist began to fade. As it did, the fog revealed none other than Gatoh himself and a mob of swordsmen behind him.

"What?" Kakashi blinked.

"So the pig shows himself at last," Blade growled.

"Humph," Gatoh grunted. "So you're the Rider I've been hearing so much about. You've been nothing but trouble since you came. You should learn not to stick your nose in where it isn't wanted."

"Gatoh!" Zabuza growled. "What are you doing? What's with the swordsmen?"

"A little change in plans I'm afraid," Gatoh smirked. "I'm just going to have you killed here. This way I save the money I'm supposed to pay you and no one asks questions. Easy and economic. My favorite words!"

"You slimy pig!" Blade growled.

"Ah ah ah, Rider!" Gatoh smirked. "As powerful as you are, even you can't possibly defeat this many opponents!"

'_Wanna bet?_' Blade thought to himself as he turned his thoughts to the Category King in his armband. One Royal Straight Flush in King Form would cut down the ranks pretty damn fast. He was snapped out of his thoughts as Zabuza stood up.

"It seems our battle is over, Rider," he spoke as he stepped forward. "I have no reason to kill Tazuna now."

"Seems that way," Blade agreed. Inwardly though, he wondered how he ended up in this position. He had only wanted to take a sidelines position, not replace one of the characters in a fight. "By the way, my name is Blade."

"A fine name," Zabuza nodded before he actually managed to get his bandages off his face with just his mouth. "I have a request, Blade."

"…I'm listening," Blade answered after a moment.

"Watch over Haku for me," Zabuza spoke. "She's too kind in a lot of ways. Perhaps the code of a Kamen Rider will suit her better than the way of a ninja."

"Zabuza-sama?" Haku gasped. Her voice was trembling.

"Haku," Zabuza spoke up. "We part ways here. Goodbye….and thank-you."

With that, Zabuza began dashing towards the collected swordsmen and their boss.

"Zabuza-sama!" Haku cried as she tried to get up. Her progress was halted as Blade wrapped his arms around her and held her still. "No! Let me go! I have to help Zabuza-sama! He's all I have left!"

"Kakashi! I need a kunai!" Zabuza barked as he ran closer to the copy-nin.

Kakashi quickly nodded and drew one. He tossed it towards Zabuza, who caught it in his teeth and continued running towards Gatoh. The crime boss easily recognized that his life was in danger, so he started scrambling to the back of the swordsmen he had hired.

The swordsmen tried to stop his approach, but even with his arms not working, Zabuza was still able to cut a few throats with the kunai in his mouth as he pushed through the crowd of swordsmen. Some of them managed to bury a blade in his back, but he was still getting closer to Gatoh.

"ZABUZA-SAMA!" Haku cried as tears poured down her face.

Gatoh was trembling in fear as Zabuza broke through the lines and charged at him. Despite the numerous blades planted in his body, he still wasn't going down.

'_I hope you have a spot in hell reserved for you because we are going down there TOGETHER!_' Zabuza roared in his thoughts as he plunged the kunai into Gatoh's heart. He cut into the man a few more times just for good measure. Gatoh stumbled from the wounds before he fell off the end of the bridge and into the cold waters.

Zabuza panted as he dropped to his knees. His final task complete, Zabuza's breathing became erratic as his vision became blurry. He fell to the ground like a doll as the last breath of life left his body.

"NOOOO!!" Haku sobbed as she trembled and cried. She stopped fighting Blade's grip.

"Haku," Blade whispered to the distraught young woman. "You would give your life to Zabuza so to keep him safe because you cherish him so much, right? He just did the same for you. He gave up his own life so you could continue living."

Haku continued to cry and she didn't show any indication that she had even heard Blade's voice. However, she gripped his arms that were wrapped around her not in attempt to get them away, but now for security.

"Damn!" one of the swordsmen growled. "He just killed our meal ticket!"

"Looks like we'll just have to take it out on this village!" yelled another.

"Sounds good!"

"Let's do it!"

"Charge!"

The swordsmen let off a collective roar as they began to charge. They didn't get far before an arrow seemed to fall from the sky and land right in front of the approaching mob. Everyone turned to see who had fired the shot and found themselves looking at the villagers of Nami who were armed to the teeth with whatever was handy. Pitchforks, sticks, sledgehammers, etc. At the front of the army of villagers was Tsunami and Inari.

"This is our home, you jerks!" Inari shouted to the swordsmen. "You're not getting anywhere near it!"

"That's right!"

"Back off!"

"Go away!"

"Everyone," Tazuna gasped as he saw the united villagers.

The swordsmen began losing their nerve as they saw the amount of people out to face them. Some poofs of smoke erupted closer to them and they found numerous copies of Naruto and Kakashi staring them down.

Blade knew that he had to make a stand too. Gently letting go of Haku, he stepped to the front lines of the retaliation force. He grabbed his arm device and pulled out his last card; the King of Spades: Evolution Caucasus.

"You aren't welcome here!" Blade growled as he slashed the card through his arm device.

"**Evolution King!**" the device called as electricity coursed through Blade's armor. The Spade Rouze Cards appeared above Blade as they grew to large sizes. Everyone watched in awe as they turned gold before flying back down towards blade. The cards began colliding with sections of his body, leaving it covered with gold armor which depicted the card it used to be. The final card was the King which changed the chest and put a beetle in the giant spade on his chest and changed his helmet to a gold one with three horns which looked almost like a crown. Blade opened his hand as a large sword appeared in his hand. It was gold and blue with the usual spades placed on it. Blade had ascended to his King Form.

The villagers and ninja alike were spellbound by the incredible change the Rider had undergone. Kakashi could feel the power radiating from Blade's body. The level of raw power was very intimidating, but facing the likes of the Kyuubi was much scarier. However, if Kakashi hadn't known the Rider beforehand, he might have been scared of this new version of him.

This was all the swordsmen could take. They knew that they wouldn't be able to beat this many opponents. With various cries of fear, they began running for the boat which Gatoh had used to sneak them all onto the bridge. Some were in such a rush they leaped right off.

"We did it!" Inari cheered loudly. It was a cheer which was echoed by all the villagers. To some, it wasn't much of a cheering time for them.

--

The days since the battle were considerably brighter for the people of Nami. With the threat of Gatoh gone, people were flooding to the bridge to get it finished. A number of girls had also come by to meet the Rider and brave ninjas who had helped them in their time of need. Kakashi, Sasuke, and Kyle each had their own little fan clubs. It was a new experience for the Rider, but nothing new to the two ninjas. Naruto himself got some attention, but remained faithful to 'his Sakura-chan'.

Haku wasn't in high spirits compared to the others. Having lost the precious people in her life a second time was a deep blow. Nowadays she followed Kyle around like a lost lamb. She just didn't know what else to do with herself.

At one point, Kyle asked Kakashi if it would be okay if he went back to Konoha with them. The Jounin personally didn't see a problem with it, but he would have to report to the Hokage himself and see what he would say.

Eventually, the day came in which the bridge was completed and the Konoha ninjas had to leave. Kyle and Haku were both packed up and ready to leave with them.

"Nii-tachi," Inari sniffled. "Do you guys really have to leave?"

"Afraid so," Kakashi shrugged. "We have to report in."

"Well, Nami doesn't really need the Rider anymore," Kyle shrugged. "It would be pretty selfish to keep my power locked up when there are other people who need my help too."

"Don't worry though, we'll be back to visit one day," Naruto grinned.

"Promise?" asked Inari.

"Of course," Kyle smiled.

"You're going to get lonely aren't you?" asked Naruto, who was welling up. "It's okay to cry you know."

"I'm not going to cry," Inari grinned with watery eyes. "You can cry though."

"Oh yeah?" Naruto sniffed. "Well…see ya!"

Naruto then swiftly turned around as tears began running from his eyes like a waterfall. Inari likewise cried like a waterfall now that Naruto wasn't looking. Sakura sweatdropped as she started thinking about how stubborn Naruto really was. Kyle just chuckled at their antics while Haku smiled faintly. It was one of the small smiles that barely anyone saw since they laid Zabuza to rest.

The group of six all said final goodbyes before starting a long trek down the newly completed bridge which connected Nami to the mainland. The people of Nami just watched them go with some sad pangs of goodbye.

"That boy put courage back into Inari's heart," Tazuna smiled. "But it was the Rider which confirmed Inari's belief in heroes so he could use that courage to act. Their actions built a bridge of hope and courage for us. Oh! That reminds me, what should we name this bridge?"

"How about the Great Maelstrom Rider Bridge?" asked Tsunami. Naruto's last name did mean Maelstrom and the mention of the Rider fit well together.

"I like it!" Tazuna grinned. Tsunami's suggestion got numerous agreements from the collected people as well.

To Be Continued…

A/N: Whew! This is my longest chapter yet I think! I hope you guys enjoyed it. I just wanted to get the battle on the bridge over with. Kyle is being drawn deeper into the plot than he would like. Can he keep up and really make a difference?


	4. Chapter 4

I do not own Naruto nor Kamen Rider Blade. Those belong to their respective creators and not me. I hope you all enjoy the latest addition of this story.

The Forgotten Rider

By Ten-Faced Paladin.

Chapter 4: Finding my Place. Chuunin Exams!

The walk to Konoha was a somewhat calm affair. No doubt the void Gatoh left behind in his death was being fought over as the group of five ninjas and one Rider made their way back through the Land of Fire. Still, everything seemed peaceful enough.

"Kyle-nii! What does this one do?" Naruto asked Kyle while holding up one of the Rouze cards.

Well, it was quiet for a while. To help pass the time, Naruto had asked to see the Rouze Cards that Kyle used to fight as the Rider. Kyle handed him one of the suits to pass the time. Right now, Naruto was passing through the Hearts suit. He was currently holding up the Recover Camel.

"That one is called Recover Camel," Kyle answered with a smile. "Category 9. When I slash it through my Rouzer, it allows me to recover from any injuries I sustained up to that point."

"Wow," Sakura gasped as she heard Kyle's explanation. "That's a very powerful card."

Sakura was even showing a mild interest in the Rouze Cards. She definitely hadn't heard of things as small as the cards being capable of doing the things the Rider had done with them.

"Am I right to assume that a Rouzer is what you use to activate the cards?" asked Haku with some curiosity.

"Yes," Kyle nodded. "Rouzers are weapons that are capable of drawing the energy from the cards and using them the way my armor allows me to use it."

While the four chatted, Sasuke was hanging near Kakashi. He tried not to look interested, but the lure of the power these cards possessed was tempting. The last Uchiha knew that _he_ would have no idea about the capabilities of the cards. In his line of work, the unknown is all one needs to get killed or emerge victorious.

Kakashi himself was likewise keeping an ear on the conversation. He didn't doubt that Kyle was on the level, but he wanted to hear all he could about those strange cards should he have to fight someone who used them.

"So all of your summons are sealed inside of these cards?" Naruto asked as he continued to flip through the set.

"That's right," Kyle nodded. "I really find them more useful sealed in those cards rather than free, but they sure come in handy when I'm outnumbered."

"I'll bet," Sakura nodded.

The group continued to travel along until the gates which surrounded Konoha loomed over the horizon. Kyle absently thought that they looked bigger than any of the comics made them look.

"All right!" Naruto cheered. "We're home!"

"Feels good doesn't it?" Kakashi 'smiled'. "Let's go everyone."

The six-person team walked along the path while the gates loomed closer. None of the Konoha-nins seemed terribly bothered by their size, but Haku was becoming slightly uneasy. Kyle himself was desperately hoping that he wasn't going to screw anything up. The small group continued walking until they were in front of the gates. Up at the top were two ninjas who were on guard duty.

"State your business," one of them called.

"Kakashi Hatake and Team 7 returning from a mission," Kakashi replied as he pulled out some official-looking papers. One of the two ninjas leaped to the ground and took the papers and examined them.

"Who are the two with you?" the ninja asked sternly.

"The girl is named Haku," Kakashi answered. "She's a former Kiri-nin who is looking for sanctuary in Konoha."

"And the boy?" the ninja pressed.

"Kyle Jones," Kakashi answered. "A civilian."

The ninja gazed at both Haku and Kyle before nodding. He leaped to the top of the gate with his partner and made a signal. The gates then slowly began to open, allowing the small group to enter Konoha.

Kyle quickly found himself rubbernecking as he gazed at everything around him that made up Konoha. It was definitely more impressive than anything in a cartoon or manga. Kyle secretly hoped that the Hokage would let him stay since he was having trouble deciding where he wanted to start exploring first.

"All right," Kakashi spoke up before turning to face his fellow travelers. "Team 7, you are dismissed for the day. Get some rest. You've earned it. Haku, Kyle, you both will follow me to the Hokage's office. We will get your situations straightened out in no time."

The three Genin nodded before breaking off from the group and heading their own ways. Well, Sakura tried one last time to get a date from Sasuke before he blew her off once again. Naruto tried his hand with Sakura only to get a punch to the face.

"Kid's got a thick head if I've ever seen one," Kyle sighed as he began walking beside Haku as they accompanied Kakashi towards the Hokage Tower.

The journey was pretty quiet. There were several villagers going about their own ways with whatever they needed to do for the day. Some off-duty ninjas were talking with friends at some of the food stands. There were even a few small children running through the street playing games. Kyle felt it almost hard to believe that a village of ninjas could be so calm.

Eventually, they got to the Hokage's Tower and entered it. They made their way up several sets of stairs before coming to a pair of doors. Kakashi silently opened them and entered with his two guests behind him. At the other end of the room was a polished desk with an old man sitting in the chair behind it with white robes and a hat which had the kanji for fire on it. He did seem to be getting on in years and he had a gray goatee and a pipe in his mouth. Kyle easily recognized him. He was looking at Sarutobi, the Sandaime Hokage.

"Kakashi Hatake reporting in for Team 7," Kakashi spoke.

"Glad to see you back, Kakashi," Sarutobi smiled. "I assume the mission was a success?"

"With no casualties," Kakshi nodded.

"Good," Sarutobi smiled. His gaze then landed on Haku and Kyle. "Are these two the ones you sent that report about?"

Kyle blinked. Kakashi sent a report? When had he done that? Most likely it was sometime after the battle on the bridge or while they were traveling back to Konoha.

"These are them," Kakashi nodded. "Haku, former Mist-Nin with a _Hyouton _(ice release) bloodline, and Kyle Jones, otherwise known as the Rider.

"I see," Sarutobi nodded. He then turned to Haku. "Well, I can easily allow you in Konoha, young lady. Unlike in _Mizu no Kuni_, we look up to those who hold a bloodline ability. It shouldn't be too hard to get you citizenship."

"Thank you," Haku bowed deeply. She would finally have a home. Something that she didn't have for a very long time.

"You're very welcome," Saurtobi smiled. "If you would please excuse us though, I would like to talk to Kyle without anyone listening in. I'll send word to the Konoha Inn to get you a reservation so you at least have a place to stay before we get you a permanent residence."

"I understand," Haku nodded. She then spared a glance at Kyle before she exited the Hokage's office, leaving Kyle, Kakashi, and the Hokage himself in the room.

"Now, Kyle," Sarutobi spoke up. "Kakashi tells me that you re in possession of some strange artifacts. If I am to be able to grant you citizenship to Konoha, then I'm afraid you will have to tell me about them."

"That's reasonable," Kyle nodded. "What do you wish to know?"

"How about where they come from?" asked Kakashi.

Kyle nodded before he reached into his pockets and pulled out all the Rouze Cards and placed them on the Hokage's desk. The old man looked down at them and began to flip through them and take in their appearance.

"Be warned that what I'm about to tell you may end up being considered an S-class secret," Kyle spoke, gaining the undivided attention of the two ninjas in the room. "I'm not sure how I received the cards because the last thing I remember was being at my home before I was hit with some kind of jutsu. The next thing I know is that I was on the ground in _Nami no Kuni_ with the Rouze cards with me. I don't know how I got there or how the cards got there, but I do know a lot about them."

"Do tell then," Sarutobi nodded.

"Okay, well, according to those who first found the cards, Kami-sama or whatever you guys call the almighty created this world along with these 53 creatures called the Undead. Each Undead was based off one of His creations and given a special ability to call its own. Each of them was immortal and made especially for fighting."

"But why would Kami-sama make them?" asked Kakashi. "What's the point?"

"Survival of the fittest," Kyle answered. "The Undead quickly put themselves in a war called the Battle Game. Each Undead fought to be the last one standing. The winner would have their progeny become the dominant species of the world.

"Incredible," Sarutobi blinked. Both he and Kakashi had their eyes wide with shock.

"Yes," Kyle nodded. "Needless to say that the Human Undead won or we wouldn't be here. When the Battle Game was over, all the Undead were sealed into the Rouze Cards and placed in an unknown location."

"I understand," Sarutobi nodded. "You make it sound as if people had discovered the cards. Were they ever unsealed at one point?"

"Unfortunately, yes," Kyle sighed. "At one point, an advanced people discovered the Rouze Cards and took them from that spot. They believed that the cards held the key to immortality and were eager to study them."

"Fools," Kakashi sighed. More people obsessed with gaining the ultimate power ended up creating disaster for everyone else. "What happened?"

"Well, they didn't make much progress towards immortality since they didn't want to release the Undead by accident," Kyle explained. "Unfortunately, one of the researchers lost his love while he was studying the Undead. In his grief, he was convinced that if he studied an unsealed Undead then he could bring her back."

"I take it his idea didn't turn out," Sarutobi frowned.

"Some of the other researchers attempted to stop him, but in the struggle, he released almost all of them," Kyle sighed. "The Undead were free to go fight and cause havoc to their hearts content."

"And just how were they resealed?" asked Sarutobi.

"That is where the buckles come in," Kyle grinned as he pulled out the three buckles and gestured to the one around his waist. "While the researchers didn't find the secret to immortality, they did develop the Rider system which emulated the powers of the Joker."

"Joker?" asked Sarutobi as he pulled out the card in question.

"The most powerful of the Undead," Kyle commented. "He has the ability to copy any of the other Undead and use their powers as his own."

"So he's the most dangerous," Kakashi reasoned.

"Perhaps," Kyle shrugged.

"So what did these people do with the Rider system?" asked Sarutobi. "I assume that they were used to seal the free Undead."

"True," Kyle nodded. "The two silver buckles are for the Blade and Garren Riders. They need the Ace of Spades and Diamonds to transform properly."

"And this last one needs either Clubs or Hearts?" asked Kakashi.

"Well, it would be prudent to know that the upper-class Undead are not stupid. Category Jack and up are capable of taking human form," Kyle explained. "It was the Peacock Undead who assembled the third buckle you see. That is for the Leangle armor. It was his hope to create the ultimate Rider so that he would have a perfect warrior who could defeat the other Undead and leave him the winner."

"I take it he failed?" asked Kakashi.

"Leangle is strong," Kyle acknowledged. "However, he was not invincible. He was eventually defeated and the buckle fell into friendly hands."

"And what about this last suit?" asked Sarutobi.

"That is one of the more twisted stories," Kyle spoke. "The Joker himself took up the task of fighting Undead and used that suit to do it."

"He wanted to cut down the competition?" asked Kakashi.

"Far from it," Kyle smiled. "When he was first released, the Joker had claimed the Category Ace of Hearts otherwise known as Chalice. He was the most powerful fighter of the Undead. When the Joker held that card, Chalice's battle instincts managed to suppress his destructive instincts so that he could think rationally."

"So the Joker could plan ahead for his battles," Sarutobi reasoned.

"Yes, but it began to change when he sealed the Human Undead," Kyle continued. "When he began using that card, the Joker was being influenced with the Human Undead's compassion and love for life. The Human Undead suppressed the Joker's desire for destruction. Instead he had a desire to protect. In short, the Joker was free of his dark side and allowed to live. He decided to protect the people he had come to care about as the fourth Rider, Chalice."

"An emotional tale," Sarutobi commented. "Are these all the Rouze Cards or are there others?"

"As to my knowledge, there is only one which is unaccounted for," Kyle replied. "It is called Keroberos. It's an artificial Undead created by the man who funded the research for the Rouze cards."

"Why would he feel the need to create his own Undead?" asked Sarutobi.

"He did it because he wanted to become a god," Kyle explained. "He had built a mechanism into his arm which he would use in conjunction with the Keroberos and change into an Undead. His plan was to let the Riders seal the Undead before making himself into one and defeating the final Undead, making himself the winner. He would have then made the world in his image and rule over it. Thankfully he failed."

"Then what happened to this Undead?" asked Sarutobi.

"No one's sure," Kyle sighed. "The Category King of Diamonds took it after he killed the man and was in turned sealed after he hid it somewhere. He wasn't in the mood to talk then either."

"I see," Sarutobi nodded. "One last question then."

"Shoot," Kyle shrugged.

"The belt you are wearing now," Sarutobi spoke. "You gestured to it as a change mechanism, yet you never said a fourth system was built."

"This was a failed experiment on my part," Kyle sighed, thinking fast on his feet. "I attempted to use the Joker card. The surge of power got to me and I passed out. When I woke up, I discovered this belt around my waist. I believe I may have absorbed some of the Joker's power, namely his ability to copy other Undead. I'm still human, but I'm not sure how much."

"I see," Sarutobi nodded. "I'd say I'm satisfied for now. I will take your citizenship into consideration. You should hear from me before the end of the day though."

"Sounds good to me," Kyle nodded. He was allowed to collect the cards and buckles before leaving the office. There was silence for a moment before Sarutobi decided to speak again.

"What are your thoughts, Kakashi?" the aged Hokage asked.

Kakashi said, "I have witnessed the kind of power the Rider has and the kind of person Kyle is. He has a noble heart filled with justice. I doubt he will ever use his power to cause harm to others. He might be a great help in Konoha for its people. But, that is his choice to make. For now, I don't think the council needs to know about the Rider. They may fight over him and his cards."

Sarutobi nodded. The clans would definitely want Kyle with them if they knew what he was capable of. Sarutobi had read through Kakashi's report and was amazed at the kind of abilities the Rider had displayed. He had flipped through the cards and saw that they were written in a form of writing he had little familiarity with. He would ask Kyle about them more specifically later. Right now, he needed to arrange Kyle a place to live. He smiled, thinking, '_Maybe Naruto needs a new roommate._'

Kyle heaved a sigh as he exited the Hokage's office The old man was nice, but when it came to him and his home, he was as strict as any of the teachers the boy from another world had before he ended up here. Haku was nowhere to be found so Kyle merely assumed that she had gone to get those reservations. That still left him with nothing to do until he was contacted by the Hokage.

Deciding to just wander, Kyle found his way into district after district of Konoha. He had some funds to work with since Tazuna had been paying him for his work on the bridge, but nothing he saw had really caught his fancy. It wasn't until he saw a familiar orange-clad ninja that he decided that eating sounded good.

He checked the sign to the stand and found that it was Ichiraku Ramen. How he could read it, Kyle wouldn't know but he didn't care at the moment. He walked over to an empty seat next to Naruto and sat himself.

"Do guys have beef ramen here?" he asked the attendant, who he guessed was Ayame. She was the only girl there anyway.

"Sure do," she smiled. "We'll get right on it."

"Hey Kyle-nii!" Naruto grinned as he saw his friend take a seat next to him. "How'd the meeting with Jiji go?"

"Pretty good," Kyle shrugged. "He's trying to get my citizenship through so all I had to do was tell him about the Rouze Cards."

"Rouze Cards?" asked Ayame as she placed the bowl of Ramen in front of Kyle. "What are those?"

"Oooooh!" Naruto cried out. "They're these super cool awesome cards that Kyle-nii can use to transform into the Rider! It's so awesome to watch!"

"Cards make your transform?" Ayame blinked in confusion. "You're pulling my leg!"

"No he isn't," Kyle chuckled. "My Rouze Cards can do some pretty cool things. Maybe I'll show you sometime."

"Maybe," Ayame shrugged. "I still think you're making this up though."

"We're not!" Naruto insisted. "I saw him use them myself!"

"Easy there Naruto," Kyle chuckled. "We'll make a believer out of her soon enough."

"So what are you going to now Kyle-nii?" asked Naruto curiously.

"Well, I was going to look and see what's around Konoha," Kyle answered. "I've never been here so everything is new for me."

"Well you came to the right guy if you want a tour!" Naruto snickred. "I know so many ways around here it will make your head spin!"

"With all the pranks he pulled, he'd have to know how to get around," Ayame giggled.

"The future Hokage has to know his home inside and out!" Naruto retorted. "That way he can know the best ways to get his precious people away from danger and keep them safe from harm."

"Now that's an attitude a future Hokage should have!" Ayame's father laughed from his position over the stove. "Keep an attitude like that and you'll be the Hokage in no time."

Naruto grinned broadly while Kyle chuckled before digging into his ramen. He silently thanked Tsunami for taking the time to teach him how to use chopsticks. He was inept at using the wooden utensils before she got through with him. He was also enjoying the taste of ramen which Naruto seemed to love so much. Kyle just figured his addiction was because of the fact that the owner and waitress of Ichiraku were some of the first people to acknowledge Naruto and give him something for free.

Kyle finished up the bowl of Ramen and set out some money to pay for the food, "This stuff is pretty good. I can see why Naruto would eat here."

"Darn tootin'!" Naruto snickered. "Ramen is the most perfect food out there! I don't need to eat much else while I've got this stuff with me!"

"I doubt that," a new voice spoke behind the two boys.

"Ahhh!" Naruto cried as he fell off his stool. Kyle quickly turned to see who was talking and he found himself looking at Kakashi who had his face buried in his orange book which was titled '_Icha Icha Paradise_'.

"Don't do that!" Kyle cried. "You scared the crap outta me!"

"Sorry," Kakashi shrugged. His gaze lifted from the smut he was reading and looked to Kyle "Hokage's sending for you. He wants me to escort you to Training Ground 7. He's going to be meeting us there with some others."

"Jiji's calling Kyle-nii?" Naruto blinked as he scrambled to his feet. "Hey! Can I come too?"

"Sorry Naruto," Kakashi replied as he turned to his student. "This is more of a private get-together."

"Ah don't worry Naruto," Kyle grinned. "I'll probably tell you later. It isn't like he's going to fight me or something."

Kakashi's gaze was silent for a moment as he returned to his smut. He mere gestured Kyle to follow him before he started walking off. After saying a brief goodbye to Ayame and Naruto, Kyle ran off after him. It amazed Kyle to see that Kakashi could navigate without looking up from his book. Kakshi eventually brought Kyle to an open clearing which had some training dummies at the other end. However, they weren't alone.

The Hokage was there, but he wasn't alone either. On his right was a man who was dressed in a Jounin vest and a green jumpsuit. His hitae-ate was wrapped around his waist and he had orange leg warmers on. A confident smile was on his face and his hair was in a bowl cut. A noticeable feature was that his eyebrows were...for lack of a better word, huge.

On the Hokage's left was a rather beautiful woman. She had a red top on which only covered one arm while she had what appeared to be bandages wrapped around her waist and acting as some kind of skirt. She had long black hair and a rather entrancing feature she had was that her eyes were red in the iris.

"Ah, hello Kyle," Sarutobi smiled. "I'm glad Kakashi found you."

"And did it while reading his little book," Kyle shrugged. The woman seemed to look a little offended for a moment. She obviously didn't like the book that Kakashi was reading. Considering what the pervert Jiraiya would put into it, Kyle really couldn't blame her. Personally, Kyle was more of a romantic rather than someone who leaned toward smut. "Anyway, how can I help you Hokage-sama?"

"Well, I believe that a test of your abilities would be in order," the aged Hokage asked. "It would be good to know if my ninjas wouldn't need to protect another person or know they have some extra help."

"Well, if you need my help all you have to do is ask, but I guess a test would be fine," Kyle shrugged. Honestly, he was half-expecting this. He knew from reading the Naruto manga that the unknown really came back to bite you in the ass. Kyle liked the life in Konoha so he didn't want to leave, especially with most of the action going to happen with the upcoming Chunin exams. "How's this test going to work?"

"Well, as you might know, ninjas are experts in three main areas," Sautobi explained. "They areas are Ninjutsu, Genjutsu, and Taijutsu. I wish to compare what abilities you possess to these three areas."

"I assume that Kakashi and those two next to you are going to be the ones testing me?" Kyle asked with some certainly. He already knew who the people were. Who could miss people who dressed like them?

"Yes," Sarutobi nodded. He gestured to the male Jounin. "This is Maito Gai. He's the top Taijutsu specialist in Konoha. He will be testing you in Taijutsu."

"YOSH!" the man smiled, the light gleaming on his teeth and a big thumbs up. "I hope we have an invigorating battle for this test!"

Sarutobi ignored Gai's passionate outburst before he then gestured to the female Jounin, "And this is Kurenai Yuhi. She is the best Genjutsu user you'll find anywhere in Konoha. She will test you on you aptitude in Genjutsu."

"It's nice to meet you," Kurenai nodded to Kyle.

"Likewise," Kyle nodded. Here he was actually meeting one of the hottest women in the Naruto manga. A lot of fanboys would be giving their left nut for this opportunity. Then again, this woman probably was used to fanboys by her age.

"And Kakashi will be evaluating your Ninjutsu capabilities," Sarutobi finished. He then gestured towards the open area. "We'll begin with Taijutsu. If you would please, Kyle? Gai?"

Both Kyle and Gai nodded as they headed out into the clearing. Both stepped into the middle and took each other in. Kyle knew that he didn't seem all that impressive in the physical department. Working on the bridge may have gotten him a little muscle and rid him of some body fat, but he was in no way considered close to what Gai was capable of. Gai was the guy who could open his Heavenly Gates and ran around Konoha a ridiculous amount of times, if what some of the things he heard were true anyway.

Gai just smiled again and held out his hand in a handshake gesture, "Let us have a youthful match!"

"Lets," Kyle smiled as he shook Gai's hand in return. A little eccentric he might be, but Gai was still a good person at heart.

Both combatants stepped back a few steps from each other while Sarutobi placed himself between them. He looked to both of them for a moment before he raised his arm above his head. In a flash of movement, he brought his arm back down again, "Hajime!"

Gai instantly sank into a stance of his fighting style as he prepared to attack. Kyle was likewise swift in pulling out one of his Rouze cards. This one depicted a wolf on the front with the word 'Fusion' written on the side. This was the Category Jack of Hearts, Fusion Wolf. Acting fast before Gai could actually begin any attacks; Kyle slashed the card through his belt.

"**Fusion!**" Kyle's body was engulfed in a static-like field before his body began to shift and change. He then emerged from the field donned in black armor which had gray fur sticking out on the arms. The face was lupine-like with green fur visible and yellow eyes. The only thing that remained unchanged was the belt which was wrapped around his waist. Satisfied that the change was complete, Kyle/Wolf Undead took a battle stance.

All four witnesses were shocked by the sudden change. Kurenai had tried a simple 'kai' to release what might have been a Genjutsu, but the wolf-like creature remained. Sarutobi and Kakashi both were stunned because they hadn't been told this, but then Sarutobi recalled Kyle telling them he had received the Joker's ability to copy other Undead. This must have been the full extent of that ability. Gai was just plain shocked by the sudden appearance of this creature where his youthful opponent had been a moment ago.

"_Well then Gai-san,_" Kyle/Wolf Undead spoke up. "_Shall we begin?_"

Gai smiled as he heard Kyle's voice. Apparently Kyle merely changed his form. Without warning, Gai charged forward as Kyle/Wolf Undead went on the offensive.

Gai went for a roundhouse to see how Kyle would react, but the wolf-like creature reacted quickly and flipped right over him. Kyle/Wolf Undead landed right behind Gai and tried to use a straight kick to get the Taijutsu master off balance, but Gai caught the blow in his hands. He then twisted Kyle/Wolf Undead's foot, forcing him to twist so that it wouldn't break. The boy in an Undead's body then tried swinging his other foot to try and get the Taijutsu specialist off guard. Gai was fast as he dodged the attack, but he had to let his opponent go so he could avoid it. Kyle/Wolf Undead took the opportunity to get to his feet and face his opponent again.

"Such wolfish youth!" Gai grinned. "I am happy to be your opponent today!"

"_I'm enjoying this too Gai-san,_" Kyle/Wolf Undead grinned. "_It feels good to spar just for fun._"

"OOOHH!" Gai cried out. "WHAT A WONDERFULLY YOUTHFUL REPLY! I SHALL DO MY BEST TO MATCH THAT YOUTHFUL POWER!"

Kyle/Wolf Undead did his absolute best to avoid sweatdropping. Gai was just being enthusiastic about the testing. Apparently he liked people who put everything they had into whatever they did. It was probably what got Rock Lee to look up to him.

"Now he got him going," Kakashi sighed. "Let me know when it's my turn to test him.

As the gray-haired Jounin returned to his world of smut, Kyle/Wolf Undead and Gai continued their match. Gai was impressed by the speed his wolfish opponent could unleash as he moved to match it. Still, the new arrival to Konoha was proving to be a most exhilarating opponent.

Gai pressed forward with a straight punch, but Kyle/Wolf Undead managed to catch it in his clawed grip. He then reared back for a punch which would make a sure impact at the range they were at. Gai was already moving to counterattack.

KRACK!!

Both Gai and Kyle/WolfUndead skidded backwards from the sheer force of the punches they had just planted on each other. Gai seemed to have had some wind knocked out of him while Kyle/Wolf Undead had a green trail of blood running from the corner of his mouth.

"Enough," Sarutobi spoke. Both Gai and Kyle/Wolf Undead released their battle stances. Gai looked like he had the time of his life while Kyle/Wolf Undead wiped the blood from his chin. Sarutobi looked to Kyle with some curiosity. "Kyle, were the skills you showed actually yours, or were they from the Undead in the card you used?"

"_The moves were mine,_" Kyle/Wolf Undead answered. "_Since you told me Gai-san was a master Taijutsu user, I figured he must have trained his body to the limit and even beyond. I decided that the Wolf Undead's strength and speed might help close the gap between us._"

Sarutobi nodded. That was some quick thinking on Kyle's part. He estimated what Gai might be capable of and picked a card in which he may have had an advantage or perhaps even the playing field.

"All right then," Sarutobi continued. "Now we will be testing your aptitude in Ninjitsu. Kakashi?"

The gray-Haired Jounin nodded and put away his book. He knew what the Rider was capable of so he couldn't putter around like he did with his team during the bell test.

Kyle likewise knew that Kakashi had seen some of his abilities as a Rider before. This was also a Ninjitsu test made to see what kind of skills he had. Still, he couldn't decide which Rider armor he should use. That was when he got an idea, Naruto may have told the others what he saw, but Kakashi had never seen the power of Garren himself before.

Liking his choice, Kyle/Wolf Undead drew his Spirit Human card and slashed it through his belt, which called, "**Spirit!**" before returning him to normal. Kakashi eyed the boy carefully as he drew the Garren buckle and the Category Ace of Diamonds.

"Going for your armor then?" Kakashi asked.

"Well, I figured I might as well show you what Naruto had seen that day," Kyle smiled as he slipped the card into the buckle. A pulsing noise echoed from the belt as he placed it on his waist, letting the belt wrap around him. The three witnesses found themselves becoming very interested in what Kyle was doing.

"Henshin!" Kyle smiled as he pulled the handle on the buckle, revealing a panel which was green with a gold diamond on the front.

"**Turn Up!**" the buckle spoke as it released the blue field with the stag beetle on it. Not noticing the looks of shock on the audience's faces, Kyle dashed forward and passed through the field before emerging as Kamen Rider Garren.

"So that's the armor Naruto told us about when he came back that morning," Kakashi nodded as he took in Garren's appearance. "Should have figured it was you when you didn't come back until later."

"What can I say?" Garren shrugged. "I made myself look like no one special so no one guessed that I could be a Rider."

"Well, you succeeded at that," Kakashi nodded before he started forming hand seals for one of his many jutsus.

"Not on my watch!" Garren cried before he drew his Rouzer and started shooting at Kakashi's feet.

The Copy-nin leaped back as the ground exploded in small bursts near his feet. He didn't know what the weapon Garren was holding was for, but he wasn't going to get another warning shot.

Garren decided to press his advantage by spreading out the Rouze Card panels he had stored in his gun. He didn't want to invent any new combos yet, so he decided to use an old standby. He plucked three from their panels before the panels shut and he began swiping them through his Rouzer.

"**Drop! Fire! Gemini!**" the Rouzer called as the cards became energy and were absorbed. "**Burning Divide!**"

Garren charged towards Kakashi and leaped into the air. Everyone's eyes widened as they watched him split into two separate beings while their feet caught fire. Both Garrens came down upon Kakashi, ready to score a hit. The cycloptic Jounin attempted to dodge just as the attack came within striking range.

There was a blast of dirt and soil which blocked the view of Sarutobi and the two Garrens rose from the smoking crater as the dust cleared. They both recombined as they kept an eye out for wherever Kakashi had moved to.

"He didn't hit?" Kurenai blinked.

"No," Sarutobi answered. "Kakashi was able to dodge the attack. It was a close one though. Kakshi had to dodge two attackers rather than the one he was expecting."

"_Katon: Gokakyuu no Jutsu!_" Kakshi's voice echoed through the clearing.

Garren couldn't tell where the attack w going to come from since Kakashi himself was no where to be seen. Rather than try to second guess the attack, he spread out his cards again and grabbed the Category 7 of Diamonds: Rock Tortoise. As the giant fireball began flying towards him from behind, Garren slashed the card through his Rouzer.

"**Rock!**" was all that was heard before the fireball hit Garren like a speeding truck.

Kakashi eyed the impact with a critical eye. He decided to see what a sneak attack would do and how Garren would react to it. As he waited for the smoke to clear, he suddenly heard more of those blasts from Garren's weapon and the branch Kakashi was sitting on suddenly broke.

"Damn!" Kakashi hissed before he leaped to the ground.

He looked up to see if he had done any damage to Garren, but his eye widened when he saw the Rider steep out of the smoke unharmed. The only difference was that instead of the armor, it looked like his entire body was made of stone. His body flashed for a moment before he returned to the normal set of armor.

"You pulled that same trick in Nami," Kakshi nodded. "Only you turned to steel."

"Different card, different effect, same result" Garren shrugged. "Still, since I have to show techniques, let's reveal my golden wings shall we?"

Kakshi's eye widened as he realized what Garren was talking about. His suspicions were confirmed as he witnessed Garren pull two cards from his arm device and slid one into it.

"**Absorb Queen!**" the device called. Kakashi's hands began moving into hand seals again. Kyle merely slashed the second card through the slot. "**Fusion Jack!**"

A golden peacock appeared in front of Garren before it fused with him, creating a golden chest, face, and shoulders on the Rider. Six gold 'wings' likewise appeared on his back.

"_Katon: Karyuuendan!_ (Fire release: Fire Dragon Bullet)" Kakashi called as he unleashed the jutsu.

Garren took to the air while Kakashi inhaled deeply before he unleashed a large dragon made of fire, Garren's eyes narrowed as the attack came closer. He just poured more speed on as he tried to keep out of range. He looked down at Kakashi to see that he was releasing a large breath so the Dragon was going to get longer still. He would have to cut off the flow of chakra if he wanted to stop the technique. Garren quickly reached to his gun and pulled three more Rouze Cards before slashing them through.

"**Bullet! Rapid! Scope!**" the Rouzer called out. "**Quick Shot!**"

As the cards were absorbed into his system, Garren quickly took aim at Kakashi. He didn't even flinch as he pulled the trigger. Kakashi instantly felt more attacks from Garren's weapon hitting the ground near him and hitting dangerously close to his feet or scraping his arms. Inwardly cursing, Kakashi released the jutsu and leaped back again. Without a constant supply of chakra, the dragon of fire couldn't be steered anymore and it only had a limited time before it finally burned out.

Garren landed lightly on the ground as Kakashi stood ready for another go.

"That's enough," Sarutobi spoke. His voice caused both Rider and Ninja to calm down. Garren reached to the buckle and turned the panel over, which made the blue field appear before moving over him and stripping the armor off.

"I didn't even get a chance to use some more jutsu," Kakashi shrugged. "Nice attacks though."

"Thanks," Kyle grinned.

"Very well done," Sarutobi nodded. He then looked to Kyle. "Kakshi told me about the golden wings you were able to use, but it is something else to see it for oneself."

"Well, I hope they were impressive," Kyle chuckled.

"Indeed," Sarutobi nodded with a smile. "Now, Kurenai will be the last one to test you. You may begin when ready."

"I hope you're prepared," Kurenai smiled slightly as she stepped forward and replaced Kakashi on the field.

"I can only hope," Kyle commented as he put the Garren Buckle away and drew the Ace of Hearts. "Henshin."

"**Change!**" the belt called before engulfing Kyle in the static field before releasing him in the form of Kamen Rider Chalice. Kurenai was slightly shocked by how easily he could change forms, but put that aside for later. She could ask the Hokage for some answers about his strange abilities later.

"_Let's begin_," Chalice spoke as he took a battle stance.

Kurenai nodded as she began a few hand seals. She didn't say a word which brought big warning alarms into Chalice's head. If she didn't need to pronounce the jutsu then she had such fine control over it that she didn't have to. Apparently she was sufficiently convinced that she didn't have to half-ass her attacks for the test.

All at once, Kurenai finished her motion of hand seals and she became blurry in his eyes. It went slowly up her body until Chalice looked at her as if she was in the middle of some fog. At the same time, Chalice felt as if he was against a tree. He turned to look at it and found that a large growing tree erupted from the ground. Tree roots coiled up and around him before pinning him to the tree in question. Movement caused Chalice to look up to see Kurenai coming out of the tree with a kunai, getting ready to strike.

'_Huh?_' Chalice thought to herself. '_But isn't she still over there?_'

Chalice looked forward and still saw the blur that Kurenai had turned herself into when she activated the jutsu. He knew that he must have seen it before, but the memory of one Itachi Uchiha being targeted by the jutsu entered his mind. That was when the answer hit him. This was the _Magen: Jubaku Satsu_ (Demonic Illusion: Tree Bind Death)!

'_Something's wrong though,_' Chalice thought. '_Someone like Kurenai wouldn't be so sloppy as to hide herself so poorly like that blur and then make a copy coming out of the tree. This isn't just a jutsu, it's a powerful Genjutsu!_'

Chalice hadn't expected the Genjutsu Mistress to pull out one of her stronger techniques, but the hazy sight of her really made it fall apart. Chalice now knew that he wasn't trapped in real tree roots. Snickering, he reached to his belt to grab some cards even as the illusionary Kurenai started moving to thrust a kunai in his heart.

Kurenai felt a small measure of both disappointment and accomplishment as she watched Chalice just hold still. She had decided to use a stronger Genjutsu to see how he would react. Her disappointment stemmed form the fact that he seemed to be held securely, but the accomplishment stemmed from the fact she had beaten someone who could match Gai and Kakashi to an extent was put down so easily by her.

The Rider seemed to struggle a few more moments. She'd release the Genjutsu once he experienced the pain. She might as well put some humility in the boy.

"**Float! Drill! Tornado!**" a mechanical voice echoed.

Kurenai recognized the voice coming from the Rider's weapons when he put one of his cards through it. That didn't make sense since he hadn't picked up any of them. She looked at Chalice and noticed that his hands were behind his back. Her eyes widened in realization.

"**Spinning Dance!**" the voice called as Chalice began to spin inside a powerful tornado before beginning to lift into the air.

Not seeing any reason to keep the Genjutsu going, Kurenai released it as she watched Chalice coming at her with a spinning kick. She drew a kunai and leaped back to avoid the kick.

Chalice hit the ground and created a gouge in the dirt. Taking an opportunity, Kurenai lunged forward. Chalice revealed his weapon, the Chalice Arrow, and blocked the kunai the Genjtusu Mistress was holding in her hand. Using her momentum, Kurenai flipped over Chalice and got some distance from the Rider. She began going though more hand seals for another jutsu.

"_Not this time,_" Chalice muttered as he drew another card. This one had a moth depicted on the front with the word 'Reflect' written on the side. This was the Category 7 of Hearts: Reflect Moth. He gripped the card and slashed it through the Rouzer.

"**Reflect!**" the Rouzer cried before the image of the card was absorbed into his body. It was in the nick of time since Kurenai unleashed her technique at the same moment.

The Genjutsu Mistress waited for Chalice to show signs of being affected. As she did, she saw something in the corner of her eye. She turned only to see a kunai coming at her. She easily dodged, but another one came at her with equal speed. Soon, she was being attacked at all sides by flying kunai.

'_Where are they all coming from?_' she asked herself. Another second passed before she eyes widened in realization. '_Wait, this is MY jutsu! He turned it back on me!_"

Kurenai immediately made the proper hand seal for the 'kai' release which would dispel the Genjutsu. As the illusion of kunai vanished, she was faced with the image of Chalice charging at her with his weapon raised, ready for battle.

"Enough!" Sarutobi called, halting the battle.

Chalice topped in his tracks and lowered the weapon. Kurenai, despite her calm looks, was trying to slow her rapidly beating heart down. Being hit by her own Genjutsu was definitely an experience she would remember.

"Impressive," Sarutobi spoke as he, Gai, and Kakashi waked over to their fellow ninja and the Rider. "And how did you escape Kurenai's first Genjutsu?"

"_She left a glaring hole in it,_" Chalice answered. "_It was obvious since she didn't even make herself vanish completely before the full Genjutsu activated._"

"What do you mean?" asked Kurenai, sounding a little bit insulted. "I made sure that my chakra was properly sent into the Genjtusu for the full effect."

"_Well something went wrong because I could still see the real you,_" Chalice answered. "_You were as blurry as hell, but I could still see you_"

"Hmm," Sarutobi pondered. He then got a sudden thought. "Kyle, your current form is that of one of the Undead, correct?"

"_Yes,_" Chalice nodded.

"Then I believe that you were able to see Kurenai because Genjutsus were specifically created to be used on humans," Sarutobi explained. "Your current form has some human qualities, but it is not human so the full effects of the Genjutsu could not hit you."

"_So I have a partial immunity to Genjutsus?_" Chalice asked. "_Cool!_"

"Perhaps," Sarutobi shrugged. "Either that or something disrupted Kurenai's chakra molding for the technique."

Chalice shrugged before he slashed the Spirit Human card through his belt and returned to his natural form. He looked to the three Jounin around him and they didn't have any readable looks on their faces.

"Thank-you for cooperating," Sarutobi smiled. "I decided that you can stay with Naruto for the night. You should still be able to find him at Ichiraku's if I know him half as well as I do."

"Sure," Kyle nodded. "I'll see you guys around then. Nice meeting you."

Kyle then turned and left. Once Sarutobi was sure that he was far enough away, he turned to the three Jounin ninjas in front of him. "Now, your professional opinions?"

"Our youthful friend's physical skills show much promise!" Gai smiled. "He holds considerable ability as it is!"

"His Ninjitsu is unique with those cards of his," Kakashi spoke, not looking up from his book. "In both using and reacting to Ninjitsu, I'd say he's got what it takes."

"Genjutsu may be his only weakness," Kurenai spoke. "But if he really can see through it just by being in one of his other forms, then I think it won't matter."

"Hmm," Sarutobi pondered. "Then you all saw what I had seen. It's good to know my eyes aren't that old just yet. I don't think we'll have any problems then."

"So you're going to give him _that_?" asked Kakashi.

"Well, he became a true citizen when he complied with our questions," Sarutobi smiled. "This test was to see how well he fares in our line of business. I think we can safely agree that he has earned it."

"YOSH!" Gai cheered. "I WHOLEHEARTDLY AGREE!"

"I agree too," Kurenai nodded with a small smile.

"Unanimous then," Kakashi shrugged. "Good luck with the council though. They'll want all the details."

"No doubt they will," Sarutobi sighed. "Ah well. I will have to deal with them eventually. In the meantime, we might as well welcome Kyle to Konoha properly."

Kyle wandered back to the main streets of Konoha to try and find Ichiraku. It was the only place that he knew he could find Naruto at. Sure enough, the blonde Genin was right where Kyle had left him.

"Hey Naruto!" Kyle called as he got closer to the stand. Naruto looked up, his mouth still full of ramen with some noodles sticking out. His eyes widened at seeing Kyle and he eagerly sucked the noodles down before he started talking.

"Hey Kyle-nii!" Naruto grinned. "What did Jiji and Kakashi-sensei want you for?"

"Ah, they were testing what I can do as the Rider," Kyle shrugged. "I had to go against a Taijutsu master named Gai, Kakshi, and this really pretty Genjutsu Mistress named Kurenai."

"Woah!" Naruto gaped. "You had to fight Kakashi-sensei? How'd you do?"

"I decided to use the Garren armor, the suit you saw me use when I was fighting that Undead back in Wave," Kyle explained. "Had to use Jack Form too, but I think I held my own pretty well."

"Cool!" Naruto grinned. "Maybe Jiji wants to make you a ninja! That would be so cool! You could replace Sasuke!"

"Me? A ninja?" Kyle snickered. "I dunno about that. Sure, I have my own amazing jutsus and stuff. I'm pretty strong too I suppose and I think Genjutsus have a hard time with targeting me… come to think of it, maybe the Hokage will make me a ninja."

"You'd be awesome Kyle-nii!" Naruto nodded. He then began to smirk. "Of course, second only to me since I'm going to be the next Hokage!"

"You sure about that?" Kyle smirked. He decided it was high time to press some of Naruto's buttons. "I bet I could get the position first. I am older so they'll take a closer look at me."

"No way!" Naruto cried out, pointing at Kyle. "You maybe the Rider, but I'll have so many super cool jutsus that it will make your head spin!"

"Oh yeah?" Kyle smiled. "Better get practicing then. You know how awesome some of my techniques are. You haven't even seen some of my strongest ones yet."

"Oh I'll beat them!" Naruto grinned with his unspoken challenge. "Believe it!"

Kyle smiled at the younger blonde. Oh yeah, the real Naruto had nothing on the manga version that he had been reading about back home.

"I do believe it," Kyle nodded. He then slapped Naruto across the back. "Now pay for your meal and let's go. Hokage says that I'm bunking with you tonight."

"Really?" Naruto blinked. He never had a roommate before. "Cool!"

A soft knocking at the door was what roused Kyle from sleep the next morning. The sole Rider in _Hi no Kuni_ moaned softly as he got up from the couch which was made into his bed for the night. Upon getting back to Naruto's apartment, Kyle saw that it was more or less an absolute sty. There were scrolls and books littering the floor and lots of old cups of instant ramen stacked up in the trash and at the sink along with the dirty dishes. Kyle might have felt appalled at the filth, but he figured that he didn't have much room to say anything since Naruto had been living on his own his whole life with no one coming over to his apartment.

Kyle had snagged the couch for himself after stealing a blanket from Naruto's closet. It wasn't the most comfortable position to be in, but it was much better than nothing. Even so, Kyle swore he and Naruto would clean the place up when they got the chance.

The soft knocking caught Kyle's attention from his sleep addled mind, "I'm coming! Hold on!"

Kyle shifted his way past some of the scrolls which littered the ground and got to the door. He gripped the doorknob and opened it. Who he found himself looking at was the Genjutsu Mistress Kurenai.

'_Now she's a sight worth waking up for,_' Kyle absently thought to himself. "Good morning Kurenai-san. What can I help you with?"

"Good-morning Kyle," Kurenai nodded. "There's no reason to be formal. I'm just here to deliver something from Hokage-sama."

"Oh?" Kyle blinked. "What would that be?"

"This," Kurenai answered as she presented a box. Kyle blinked at it before taking into his hands. Satisfied that the package was delivered, she nodded to Kyle. "I'll see you later."

With that, Kurenai walked away from the entrance. Kye was half-expecting her to leap away or something. Shrugging to himself, he shut the door and walked back to the table with the box in hand.

"Who was that?" A sleepy Naruto mumbled as he stepped out from his bedroom.

"That Kurenai lady I met yesterday," Kyle answered as he put the package on the table. "She dropped off something for the Hokage. I wonder what it is."

"Eh?" Naruto blinked. He seemed to wake up instantly. "Well? What are we waiting for? Open it!"

"Fine," Kyle sighed as he tore open the paper which wrapped the package before reaching a cardboard box. He grabbed the flaps and opened it. He found himself looking at a note which was written by the Hokage.

'_Dear Kyle_:

_Welcome to Konoha. Meet up with Kakashi and Team 7 this morning. Naruto has the time and place._

_Sarutobi (The 3__rd__ Hokage)'_

"Wow!" Naruto cried as he peered into the box. Kyle likewise looked into the box and his eyes widened as his eyes landed on a hitae-ate with a Konoha symbol on it.

"You're a ninja Kye-nii!" Naruto smiled brightly. "Awesome!"

"Yeah," Kyle nodded dumbly as he took the hitae-ate and held it up to look at it. After a moment of peering on it, he slowly brought it up and let it hang around his neck. "How does it look?"

"It looks cool!" Naruto smiled. "Okay, now for breakfast. I gotta meet Kakashi-sensei soon."

"I have to go with you," Kyle added as he headed for the kitchen. "I think I might be assigned to your team."

"Double awesome!" Naruto cheered. "I really hope you replace Sasuke."

"Don't get your hopes up," Kyle sighed. "They might just make us a four man cell instead."

"Ah well," Naruto shrugged. He seemed clearly disappointed at that thought. "It will be cool having you there along with Sakura-chan!"

"Gotta stick with friends," Kyle grinned.

The two quickly had their breakfast, which composed of buttered toast. With that, Naruto dashed off to get dressed. Kyle had slept in his clothes so he was more or less ready. As soon as Naruto was dressed in his usual orange jumpsuit, the two were out the door.

Naruto led the way until they had reached a bridge which hung over a river. There were several arches which were placed over the path. Naruto still had his bright smile on as he reached the bridge with Kyle in tow. Sasuke was already there looking like he was brooding again while Sakura stood across from him and with an adoring look on her face

"Hey everybody!" Naruto called out to his teammates.

Sasuke eyed Naruto for a moment before he took notice of Kyle, "What are you doing here?"

"Didn't you hear the news?" Kyle smirked as he held up the hitae-ate which was around his neck. "I've been officially inducted as a ninja of Konoha. It's the Hokage's orders that I meet here with you guys."

"Wow." Sakura blinked. "That's amazing. Why do you think the Hokage wanted you to be with us today?"

"Dunno," Kyle shrugged as he took a seat at the foot of the bridge. "Kakashi probably knows."

Sasuke kept an eye on Kyle for a moment before he returned to his brooding mode. Naruto tried to ask Sakura on a date, but the she glared at him, making him shut up. Kyle just amused himself in trying to think of new combos to use for his Rouze cards. He knew that Kakashi had a penchant for being late.

And late he was. Time wore on for those of team 7 and both Sakura and Naruto were growing irritable. Sasuke remained cool and aloof of all things while Kyle had managed to think up of three new combos for his cards. About three hours had passed after the time Kakashi was supposed to arrive. Both Naruto and Sakura looked ready to explode.

"Yo!" someone called. All four ninjas looked up to see Kakashi sitting on top of one of the arches. He appeared to be smiling.

"YOU'RE LATE!!" Naruto and Sakura shouted while pointing at Kakashi.

"Sorry," Kakashi shrugged as he leaped to the ground. "A black cat crossed my path so I-"

"LIAR!" the pair screamed out again.

Kakashi shrugged before he eyed Kyle and turned to him, "I see you got the package the Hokage had Kurenai give to you. Welcome aboard."

"Thanks," Kyle nodded as he pocketed the Rouze Cards and stood up. "What I would like to know is why I'm here."

"Well," Kakashi shrugged. "Under the Hokage's orders, you are hereby assigned to Team 7 until further notice. Since you're a part of Team 7, you get to help us out with some D-rank missions we have been assigned today."

"Joy," Kyle sighed. He knew what D-ranks missions entailed. It was usually civil services or chores that people were too busy, injured, or lazy to do themselves.

"All right team," Kakashi spoke loudly to catch the other three ninjas' attention. "Let's move out."

Team 7 then was put through several D-rank missions that included weeding a garden, picking up groceries for an elderly woman, and chasing down the feudal lord's wife's cat. Kyle just couldn't figure out how the cat managed to keep escaping. It had plenty of incentive, but when did it get the opportunity. The lady hugged the thing constantly.

It didn't help that Naruto tried to impress Sakura every so often as they worked. At one point, he tried weeding a garden faster than Sasuke and ended up taking out all the plants. The client was not happy about that particular screw up. Finally, Kakashi had run out of missions for them to do as he faced his team near the bridge again.

"Okay team," Kakashi spoke. "I'm off to file the mission reports. You have the rest of the day off."

Kakashi then vanished in a puff of smoke and swirl of leaves. Sasuke sighed and began walking away from the small group. Sakura, seeing her crush walking away, seized her opportunity.

"Ah, Sasuke-kun!" she called. "Why don't we train together?"

"I decline," Sasuke replied. "You'd only hold me back."

Sakura stiffened at the cold remarks. Inner Sakura was struggling underneath a large boulder which was engraved with Sasuke's words.

"You should concentrate on your own skills first," Sasuke continued. "You're lower than Nartuo in that regard."

Sakura further flinched at the remarks. Inner Sakura looked like she was about to be crushed by an even bigger boulder with the words 'lower than Naruto' engraved on it. Sasuke just turned away from her and began walking again.

"The only one I would even consider sparring with is the Rider," he finished before he vanished into the distance.

"Ouch," Kyle grimaced. "The mother of all rejections. I don't know what you see in that guy Sakura."

Suddenly, Sakura was up in Kyle's face looking like she was possessed or something.

"Don't talk that way about Sasuke-kun!" she shrieked. "He's good-looking, talented, and he's a genius!"

"And?" Kyle sighed, "He doesn't respect you at all. Why would you care about someone who doesn't give a damn about you?"

"Sasuke-kun just needs someone to open up to!" Sakura insisted.

"Please," Kyle chuckled. "The only reason he's so popular is because he doesn't want people to bother him. People want to be near him because he won't let them get close. It's the forbidden fruit concept. You only want what you can't have."

Sakura blinked at that. Did she only want Sasuke because she knew she would never get him? She then shook her head. No way! She could still snag Sasuke. She only needed to get him to open up! What better way then being on the same team?

Naruto watched the squabble with some interest. This was the first time that he had seen anyone say that Sasuke wasn't great at all. It was like a breath of fresh air, but he didn't like seeing his friend fighting with his crush.

Suddenly, Naruto felt like he was being watched. He slowly turned around and he spied what looked like a rectangular rock with eyeholes cut into it. The object in question seemed to be moving and following him. Naruto tested his theory by moving and was answered by the 'rock' following his movements.

Naruto frowned slightly. He could tell who was behind this, "All right Konohamaru! No rock is that square and has eye holes cut in it! Come on out!"

"He he he he," a child's voice laughed inside the box. "Just as I expected from my rival!"

The 'rock' then suddenly lit up in a huge explosion which sent smoke everywhere and sufficiently got Sakura and Kyle out of their argument.

"I think we used too much gunpowder!" a kid coughed in the smoke.

"You think?" cried another.

As the smoke cleared, Sakura, Kyle, and Naruto could see three kids coughing where the fake rock was a few moments ago. There were two boys and one girl to be counted in the small group. The girl had orange hair which was tied into pigtails and she seemed to have rosy cheeks. The first boy had a bowl cut, glasses, and a snot bubble coming from his nose. He seemed to be pretty neutral. The final kid had bushy brown hair and a scarf around his neck. A noticeable fact was that they all had a pair of goggles strapped to their heads.

The three kids managed to stop coughing for a moment before they noticed that they had an audience to their antics. Things were still for a moment before the kids seemed to get their acts together again.

"Sexiness of an adult kunoichi! Moegi!" the girl cried as she struck a pose.

"I like long division! Udon!" the glasses-boy called before he struck a different pose.

"Konoha's number one genius ninja! Konohamaru!" the apparent leader called as he took the last pose. "And together we are the Konohamaru Corps!"

Naruto just stared at the posing trio of school kids. Sakura and Kyle both tried to keep their judgment held back, but the combination of cute and funny almost made them laugh.

"Konohamaru Corps?" asked Naruto bluntly.

"Yeah!" Konohamaru nodded. "We're gonna be the #1 team in all Konoha!"

"Yeah, but why the heck are you guys wearing goggles?" asked Naruto.

"We wanna be like you Boss!" Konohamaru answered proudly as he and his two friends showed off their goggles. "So we got matching goggles like the ones you had!"

"Boss?" asked Kyle. "Didn't know you had a gang to back you up Naruto."

"Friends of yours?" giggled Sakura.

Konohamaru looked at the two people who were hanging out with the guy he looked up to so much. He immediately got a little suspicious before he turned back to Naruto, "Hey Boss. Who are these two?"

"These two?" Naruto blinked. "Well, the guy is the super cool Rider who came all the way from Nami to join up with my team!"

"Oooh!" Moegi squealed. "Boss is so famous already?"

"Yeah!" Konohamaru nodded. "Grandpa mentioned the mission to Nami about the bridge or something. So this is that Rider guy?"

"That's me," Kyle nodded.

"And this is Sakura-chan," Naruto continued proudly as he pointed out his pink-haired teammate.

"Ooooooh!" Konoharu began to snicker sinisterly. "Is she your…you know?"

"Well…ahaha," Naruto chuckled as he rubbed the back of his head. A blush was on his face.

Sakura, on the other hand looked incredibly ticked off. It didn't help that her Inner Sakura was just as pissed off. She was only more vocal about it, "NARUTO!!!" Her battle cry was heard all around as she planted a powerful punch into the blonde's face. The force of the blow sent he sprawling into a wall, which caused him to crack it before falling to the ground.

"Boss!" the Konohamaru Corps cried as they rushed to see to their fallen leader. Konohamaru shook Naruto's body several times to try and wake him up. "Wake up Boss! You can't die yet!"

"A little extreme there?" Kyle asked a seething Sakura. "It was Konohamaru who asked, not Naruto."

"How dare you!" Konohamaru cried while pointing at Sakura. "It's obvious you aren't the boss' girl! Who'd want an ugly girl like you with a forehead like yours!?"

"WHAT?!" Sakura cried. A stress vein had appeared on her head and she looked about ready to kill. Kyle immediately took an opportunity to slowly step away from the very pissed off kunoichi. "WHY YOU!!"

"Ulp!" Konohamaru gulped fearfully.

"Run Konohamaru!" Naruto cried to his younger friend. He knew that Sakura hated being teased about her forehead and it meant instant death for those who did.

"Ahhhhh!!" Konohamaru cried. Thanks to the inspiration from his boss, the young Sarutobi took off with his crew right alongside him. Sakura was on his tail screaming bloody murder for when she caught up with him. Kyle was close behind with Naruto following, having recovered from the punch.

"Spare him Sakura-chan!" Naruto cried desperately.

The Corps continued running for their lives through the streets of Konoha, hoping to find a safe haven. Konohamaru was in the lead since it was him that Sakura was gunning for. He quickly turned a corner and ran straight ahead, but he then ran into something big and dark.

"Hey!" a gruff voice growled. Konohamaru looked up and saw a large boy who had a large object wrapped in bandages slung over his shoulder and paint covering his face. Next to him was a girl with a large fan who was blonde with her hair done up in two ponytails.

"Who do you think you are kid?" the boy growled as he grabbed Konohamaru by the scruff of his shirt.

Naruto, Sakura, and Kyle were quick to arrive at the turn where Konohamaru ran into the black-clad ninja. Kyle immediately recognized the faces of Kankuro and his sister Temari. If his guess was right, then Sasuke would be in the nearby tree while Gaara would be right behind him without the Uchiha ever knowing he was there.

"Let him go!" Naruto frowned while Udon and Mogei hid behind him.

"Ha," Kankuro laughed. "Make me."

"I'll be sure to write that on your memorial stone," Kyle growled as he stepped up next to Naruto.

"Oh yeah?" Kankuro snickered. Temari seemed to be a little more apprehensive. At least she seemed to have the common sense not to be arrogant. "And what is a weak Konoha-nin going to do?"

"Why don't I show you?" asked Kyle with a grin. He pulled out his Category 8 of Spades: Magnet Buffalo and slashed it through his belt.

"**Magnet!**" the belt cried before engulfing Kyle in the static field again. His body changed before coming back out. Now he was bulky with muscle and had dark brown fur under his leather strap armor. A fur cape ran down his back while sticks of some kind ran out from his shoulder. His head was decorated with long horns while the face was covered in steel with a metal nose ring sticking from his bovine nose.

"What the hell?!" Kankuro gasped as he staggered back from the sudden change. He dropped Konohamaru before beginning to reach for his wrapped bundle.

"What are you?!" Temari cried in genuine surprise as she reflexively reached for her fan.

"_Category 8 of Spades,_" Kyle/Buffalo Undead answered before he activated his given ability. Both Temari's fan and Kankuro's bundle were suddenly jerked from their hands and flew right into Kyle/Buffalo Undead's waiting arms. "_Magnet Buffalo._"

Both Suna-nin were stunned by the actions that the creature in front of them had just done. Sakura and Naruto were likewise shocked. The Konohamaru Corps were amazed at whatthey were seeing. Their mouths were wide open in astonishment.

"_Now, I'm going to ask you a question,_" Kyle/Buffalo Undead spoke. "_For your sakes, you had better answer correctly. I'll even return your weapons."_

The two sand siblings didn't offer very much resistance. They were at a disadvantage without their weapons.

"_I'm assuming that you two are here for the upcoming Chunin exams_." Kyle/Buffalo Undead spoke. "_Do you have some kind of identification to confirm this?_"

"Uh…yeah," Temari nodded. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a slip of paper. Kankuro did the same, but he didn't look pleased with having to do so.

"_Sakura, would you check them?_" Kyle/Buffalo Undead asked calmly.

The pink-haired kunoichi shook herself out of her stupor at seeing Kyle change his form so easily. She stepped towards the two Suna-nins and took the papers from them. Naruto and Kyle/Buffalo Undead peered over her shoulders. After a moment, Sakura handed the papers back to the two Suna-nins.

"It's official," Sakura confirmed. "These two have permission to be in Konoha."

"_All right then. I suppose you can get your weapons back_," Kyle/Buffalo Undead shrugged as he tossed the fan and the bundle to their owners. He then glanced over to the only nearby tree. "_Sasuke, would you tell that Suna-nin behind you that he can come down now?_"

Everyone's eyes widened at Kyle's statement, wondering if it was true or not. After a moment, Sasuke came down from the tree looking as emo as ever and behind him dropped the red-headed jinchuruuki, Sabaku no Gaara.

Kyle's agitation began to grow as he watched Gaara step closer. His Undead instincts in the Buffalo Undead were demanding him to start fighting Gaara. It was understandable to Kyle. Gaara was the host to the Ichibi no Tanuki, Shukaku and the seal, wherever it was, was probably a piss poor one if it allowed Shukaku to influence his host so easily. Of course, growing up like Gaara did probably didn't help him either.

"Kankuro, you are being an embarrassment to Suna," Gaara commented coldly. He then turned to the collected Konoha-nins. "My apologies for my brother."

"B-but Garra! They started it-!" Kankuro tried to mumble out.

"Shut up or I'll kill you," Gaara cut in with a bit of an edge in his voice. Kankuro immediately snapped his mouth shut. He then turned to gaze at Kyle with his cold gaze. "An impressive transformation jutsu. What is your name?"

"_Kyle Jones,_" Kyle/Buffalo Undead answered. "_You are Sabaku no Gaara if I am not mistaken._"

"Your information is correct," Gaara answered coolly. If he felt any amount of surprise, he didn't show it. He then turned to his older brother and sister. "We're leaving."

Kankuro seemed to almost tremble before he nodded. Temari cast a glance at Kyle before she followed her brothers away from the spot where their confrontation took place. The collected Konoha-nins and wanna-be Konoha-nins only watched them go before turning back to Kyle.

"That was so cool Kyle-nii!" Naruto cheered as he ran up to Kyle. "That henge you're using is pretty darn cool!"

"_Who says I'm using a henge?_" asked Kyle/Buffalo Undead. He then drew another card, the Spirit Human, before slashing it through his belt.

"**Spirit!**" the belt cried out before Kyle was engulfed in the static field before coming out of it looking normal again.

"You mean you really changed into that buffalo thing?" Sakura asked with some surprise in her voice.

"My belt is a Rouzer in itself," Kyle shrugged. He then turned to the Konohamaru Corps. "Let that be a lesson to you. If your enemy is afraid of you, then you've won half the battle."

"Yes sir!" the Corps cried with a salute.

"Hey Boss!" Konohamaru grinned at Naruto. He was still in his saluting position "This guy is almost as cool as you!"

"Why do you think he's on my team?" Naruto asked with his patented foxy grin.

"Almost?" Kyle blinked with mock disappointment. "And here I thought I was just as cool as Naruto."

The collected ninjas, save for Sasuke, and the three children shared a small laughed at the older boy's joke.

-----**Hokage Tower**-----

Inside the Hokage's office, there were numerous Chuunin and Jounin standing at attention in front of their aged leader. He had a concentrating frown on his face as he watched his collected friends and fellow ninja.

"Now, I called you all here for a reason," Sarutobi spoke. "Although, I'm sure that you can all guess what that reason is by some of the people coming into Konoha."

There were some nods in the group before Kakashi began to speak, "So it's that time of year again?"

"So you've already told the other countries?" asked Asuma, Sarutobi's chain-smoking son. "I've already seen some foreign faces already."

"So?" asked Kurenai patiently. "When is it?"

Sarutobi looked over to the Genjutsu mistress while taking a puff from his pipe, "One week from now."

Kakashi's head tilted slightly at the answer. One could almost say he had some apprehension, "That's a little sudden."

"Perhaps," Sarutobi nodded as he blew some smoke from his mouth. "But my decision stands and I will announce it today. In seven days the Chuunin exams will be held here in Konoha."

Sarutobi cast his gaze out into the collected ninjas, "Now, are there any Genins you wish to nominate for the exam? Those who have new Genins please step forward."

Kurenai, Asuma, and Kakashi took a couple steps forward before standing in front of Sarutobi at attention.

"Kakashi, Kurenai, Asuma," Sarutobi spoke seriously. "Are there any Genins you wish to nominate for the exam along with the ones you teach? Also remember that any Genin who has accomplished eight or more missions can be nominated with your recommendation."

"In that case," Kakashi nodded. "I, Kakashi Hatake, nominate Sasuke Uchiha, Naruto Uzumaki, Sakrua Haruno, and Kyle Jones for the Chuunin exam."

In the crowd of collected ninjas, one Iruki Umino stiffened at Kakashi's recommendation. Team 7 was nowhere near ready for this kind of danger! Especially when they just received a fourth member! To Iruka, it seemed that Kakashi was banking on the skills of this Rider and the Uchiha to help his team get through and the school teacher wasn't going to let his former student and sometimes little brother get risked over two higher skilled ninjas.

Sarutobi's gaze turned to Kurenai, who continued, "I, Kurenai Yuuhi, nominate Hinata Hyuuga, Kiba Inuzuka, and Shino Arubame for the Chuunin Exam."

Asuma then went last, "I Asuma Sarutobi, nominate Ino Yamanaka, Shikamaru Nara, and Chouji Akimichi for the Chuunin Exam."

There were rumblings among the collected ninjas. Rookies were actually being nominated for the exams. It was also at this time that Iruka had enough. He quickly stepped forward to make himself known.

"Wait a minute!" he cried.

"Yes Iruka-kun?" asked Sarutobi. All eyes were trained on Iruka now.

"Forgive me for interrupting," Iruka began, satisfying the need for manners. "But nine of those ninja you called were once my students not too long ago. Granted, each of them are talented, but it's too early. Also, we know next to nothing about the Rider and what skills he possesses. He hasn't even been a ninja for a day yet!"

"I became a Chunin when I was six years younger than Naruto," Kakashi answered calmly.

"Naruto is different from you!" Iruka snapped. "Are you trying to ruin him or something?"

"Not in the least," Kakashi replied. He had pondered the use of a joke, but with people in the collected ninjas questioning the recommendation of someone who just became a ninja, he felt he had to explain his reasons, if only a little.

"As their teacher now, I know what they are capable of to a better extent," Kakashi explained. "As for the Rider, it is my belief that he is more than capable of obtaining Jounin status as he is now."

Kakashi's answer sent more ripples through the crowd. Some of the ninjas were wondering if Kakashi had stumbled onto another genius or if he was insane. Kurenai was watching Kakashi carefully. While she would admit that Kyle had good chances of becoming a Chunin in skill, she had doubt he could become a Jounin without training and experience. Had Kakashi seen something in the Rider she hadn't?

"I understand your argument Iruka," Kakashi continued. "But remember, they are no longer your students. They are my subordinates."

Iruka frowned at Kakashi's stayement, but he knew it was true. Naruto and his classmates ceased being students when they earned their hitae-ates. They weren't students anymore. They were ninjas. He was going to have to accept that fact about them.

For better or for worse.

To Be Continued…

A/N: Hey everyone. How was the chapter? This was more for getting Kyle established in Konohathan anything else. Now the Chuunin Exams will really take off. How do you think he'll do?


	5. Chapter 5

I do not own Kamen Rider Blade nor do I own Naruto. I am just writing about them for fun. I hope you all enjoy the fruits of my labor. Enjoy.

The Forgotten Rider

By Ten-Faced Paladin

Chapter 5: The Chuunin Exams Commence

Another new day arrived in Konoha for those who lived in the hidden village. Kakashi had called for another meeting for the team. As Kyle and Naruto had been heading for the usual meeting spot, they noticed some new faces who were wearing headbands from different villages. Kyle spotted headbands from _Amegakure _(Hidden Rain), _Takigakure _(Hidden Waterfall), _Kusagakure _(Hidden Grass), and even from as far as _Iwagakure._

The Rider kept his eyes on those ninjas, knowing that they would stir trouble at the first chance they could get since they were probably bitter from the history they had with Konoha. He hadn't seen the single _Otogakure_ team anywhere, but that only made him tenser. It was better to know exactly where the enemy was, rather than know they were near, but not their exact position.

Both Naruto and Kyle arrived at the bridge where Sakura and Sasuke were already waiting. Kakashi was probably going to be late again so they were getting comfortable. Sakura looked a little sleepy and Sasuke was just staring into the water.

"Morning," Naruto waved as the he and Kyle reached their two teammates. Their only replies were either a nod (Sasuke) or a sleepy grunt (Sakura). Kyle took a seat on the wooden ground while Naruto stood next to Sakura.

Sasuke watched Kyle take a seat and take out his Rouze Cards and flip through them. The last Uchiha wanted to know more about them. He knew his blonde teammate probably knew the most about them aside from Kyle himself. After seeing his actions in Nami and how he was able to sense both him and the Suna-nin the previous day made him on the list of people Sasuke wanted to test himself against. Still, there was something he wanted to know.

"Hey, Kyle," he spoke up, catching the Rider's attention from flipping through his cards. "How did you know about that Gaara guy from yesterday?"

"Heard about him," Kyle answered calmly. He had to hide how he really knew such information, but he could at least make up a plausible reason. "He doesn't exactly blend into the crowd."

Sasuke had to concede a point with that statement. Gaara's gourd made him stand out along with his teammate with the face paint. In fact, the female on the team was the only one who could blend in the best, even if she had a giant fan on her back.

"What did you hear?" asked Sakura. She was overhearing what was being spoken and she couldn't help but ask.

"Nothing friendly," Kyle answered. "I've heard that it's impossible to hurt him. He's come back from violent missions without a scratch on him, even if his teammates were scuffed up."

Sasuke's hands clenched. He knew that the red head was good, but now it seemed that he was even better than he had thought. It would definitely be a challenge to go up against him.

"Furthermore," Kyle continued. "Almost everyone who has gone up against him has ended up dead. Mercy is a foreign concept to him. It holds no meaning to him. If you fight him, you are most likely dead."

Sakura and Naruto both shivered at the coldness in Kyle's voice. It was a far cry from what his voice normally sounded like. He actually sounded more like he did back in Nami when he was fighting Zabuza. If he was sounding like this when he was talking about Garra, then the Suna-nin must be bad news.

The three Genin settled back into an uncomfortable silence as they waited for their teacher. As usual, he was running late. Time rolled on for the four Genin and Kakashi had yet to appear.

"Oooooh!" Sakura growled. "Why does Kakashi-sensei make us wait when he's the one who called us out here?!"

"Yeah!" Naruto nodded. It looked like he was trying to score points with Sakura by agreeing with her.

"So how is he going to compensate a girl who had to give up blow drying her hair so she could be on time for the meeting?" Sakura continued to rage.

"Kyle-nii made me brush my teeth and wash my face," Naruto answered. "Otherwise I would have been on time too."

"Kakashi is always late, Naruto," Kyle frowned. Naruto had made a stink about being on time for his meeting. "He's usually always late by a couple of hours. You can take the extra time to get ready."

Sakura stiffened slightly at Kyle's words. When she thought about it, it made sense. Kakashi was always late so why shouldn't she take the extra time to get ready since she would still be there ahead of him. Well, a kunoichi should always be punctual, but she wanted to look presentable too. This would take some time to think about.

"Yo," a new voice cut through her thoughts.

All four Genin looked up at one of the tori gates which lined the path. On top of it was Kakashi. He was waving lazily to his team.

"Sorry I'm late," he continued. "I got lost on the path of life today…"

"LIAR!!" Both Naruto and Sakura cried out.

Kakashi leaped down from the tori and landed in front of his team, "Okay, I'll get to the point then. I've recommended all four of you for the Chuunin exam."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out four slips of paper which had his name and a small statement on them.

"Just remember that the recommendation does not force you to take the exam," Kakashi continued. "You can decide for yourselves if you want to take the exam or not."

"I LOVE YOU, KAKASHI-SENSEI!" Naruto cried out as he captured the gray-haired Jounin in a hug.

"Okay, okay," Kakashi sighed as he pried the happy blonde from around his neck. "All you have to do is sign these and in five days head to the academy and go to room 301. You have until 3pm on that day to get there."

"Okay!" Naruto grinned. "The Chuunin Exam!"

Kyle smiled as he looked at the slip of paper but frowned in thought too. He wasn't going to just be observing the Chuunin Exam arc like he had in his world when he read the manga, he would be IN the Chuunin Exam arc as well. Though it had been awhile since he read this arc, he knew what to expect, like Shukaku's attack and Orochimaru. He wasn't going to allow anything like that happen. He wasn't sure why he sent to this world with the Rouze Cards, but he was going to use their power to change things.

Sasuke cast Kyle a cold look. Unlike them, Kyle hadn't gone through the Academy to attain the status of a Genin. All he did was use his cards against some of the well known Jounin class ninjas in Konoha. An impressive feat, still, but even Sasuke, a proclaimed genius, had to go through the proper channels to earn the right to be a ninja. Though the cards were impressive, Sasuke didn't think Kyle had any of his own abilities that could match up.

Kyle kept reminding himself that he had to be careful. He couldn't interfere too much or else others would be suspicious if his knowledge. He needed to play it safe. They had 5 days to prepare, meaning 5 days for Kyle to think of new combos and which of the Riders would be proper for the exam. He knew he had to do his best. He was the Rider and those who knew of him expected that much of him.

Kakashi dismissed his team and the four Genin went along their way. All four of them decided to make their way back into Konoha. Kyle was getting a craving for food so he decided to follow the two so he could get to Ichiraku's. He'd probably meet Naruto there. Ramen was as good as anything at the moment.

As they began getting closer to the town, Sasuke glanced back at Kyle.

"Can I help you?" Kyle asked neutrally.

"Do you think you're strong enough to take part in the Chuunin Exams?" Sasuke asked bluntly. "You don't seem to have any skills beyond what your cards give you."

"Hey, Teme!" Naruto snapped. "Don't go insulting other people's skills! Kyle-nii's going to be a great ninja!"

"So long as he has his cards," Sasuke retorted. He then turned back to Kyle. "What can you possibly do without them?"

Kyle blinked at Sasuke's bluntness. Then again, the last Uchiha was borderline obsessed with gaining power and killing his older brother. He hated being held back and was going to make sure that no one did. The misplaced Rider decided that it was time to spin another lie.

"Heh," Kyle smirked. "If I do lose the cards, then I think you'd better head for the hills because not much is going to survive what happens next."

"Huh?" Sakura blinked. All three Genin were watching their fourth teammate. "What do you mean?"

"If you guys really want to know, then I can tell you," Kyle answered. He put his hands in his pockets. "Now, I have 53 cards in my deck. The four suits of thirteen cards."

"But that only makes 52," Sakura pointed out.

"Yeah," Kyle nodded. "The last one is called the Joker. It is one of the most powerful of the Undead that I have. I've only used it once."

"So what happened?" asked Naruto.

"This did," Kyle answered as he gestured to his belt which he willed to appear around his waist. "I was experimenting with the cards and by using the Joker I got knocked out and woke up with it around my waist. I can't get it off either. I can only make it appear or vanish. I can't remove it."

"But what does this have to do with losing the cards?" asked Sasuke impatiently.

"Simple," Kyle answered. "The Rouze Cards don't just make up my attacks; they also keep the power of the Joker sealed away."

"You have Joker powers?" Naruto gaped. "That is so cool!"

"No, it isn't, Naruto," Kyle sighed. "The Joker is by far the most savage of the Undead. It will fight and kill until there's nothing left. Then it will just find something else to fight or kill. It's been said that the Joker has the power to end the world."

"The power to end the world?!" Sakura gasped. Nartuo and Sasuke were both surprised by the casual mention.

"Yeah," Kyle nodded. How handy was it that he could use Hajime's story for his own use. "If I lose my Rouze Cards, then the Joker inside of me will have the opportunity to break loose. Does that answer your question, Sasuke?"

The last Uchiha nodded as he regained himself. It was enough of an answer for him. If Kyle's word was true then it would be helpful, even if the power was a last resort and a double edged sword if it was ever used.

Kyle himself was pleased with how well his teammates bought his story. Still, if he did have the Joker's belt, how much of it was really a lie? Kyle silently pledged to never let the cards out of his grasp, especially not the Ace of Hearts and the 2 of Hearts.

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There were only four days left until the Chuunin Exams were scheduled to happen. Naruto was excited and was incredibly impatient. He hated waiting and he saw the upcoming exam as a way to show up Sasuke and a step towards being Hokage.

Kakashi had dismissed them without missions for the day. Kyle assumed it to be for the upcoming exams and some prep time for them. Naruto was wandering around town and Kyle had no idea what Sasuke and Sakura were doing.

At the moment, Kyle was chowing down on some Ramen at Ichiraku's again. He was beginning to become as much of an addict of the noodles as Naruto was. At least the teen was capable of eating them politely, whereas Naruto was a sloppy eater as he was since he started going to Ichiraku when he'd been little.

"You know," Ayame smiled as she served Kyle another bowl. "You're getting to be as much of a ramen addict as Naruto is."

"Well, the only thing that comes close to ramen where I came from is instant noodle cups," Kyle laughed as he licked some broth off his lips. "This stuff is way better too."

"Well, compliments won't get you a free bowl though," Ayame reminded him with a giggle.

"A guy can dream, can't he?" Kyle sighed in mock disappointment.

Ayame continued to giggle at Kyle's joke. Kyle smiled at her good humor before returning to his bowl of ramen while he calculated what he could afford to eat. He was also already digging into the new bowl.

That was when things went to hell.

There was a swirl of movement and Ayame was suddenly yanked away by an Ame-nin wearing a black cloak, a cloth mask, and a straw hat.

"Ahhhhh!" Ayame screamed as the ninja began leaping away.

"Ayame!" Kyle shouted. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the Category Ace of Hearts. "Henshin!"

"**Change!**" the Rouzer called out before Kyle shifted forms and became Kamen Rider Chalice.

Chalice was thankful that his Undead body was quick. The leg muscles allowed him to leap on top of buildings to follow the fleeing Ame-nin. Every so often, the Ame-nin would check behind him to see if he was still being followed.

"_This isn't getting me anywhere_," Chalice growled. They were coming up to the forests rather quickly. If the Ame-nin got there then his chances of getting away would get even higher. Chalice had to stop him now!

He reached to his belt and drew one of his Rouze Cards: the Float Dragonfly. Working fast, Chalice took the Rouzer off of his belt and attached it to his bow, making it able to draw power from the cards. He then slashed his card through.

"**Float!**"

Chalice began to feel weightless as he began hovering into the air. He took to the air and followed the Ame-nin from there. He kept the fleeing kidnapper in his sights. With not having to worry about his landings, Chalice was able to close the gap with the help from his new flight capabilities.

The Ame-nin checked behind again to see if he was being followed. He seemed a little confused when he saw that he wasn't being followed anymore. Of course, Ayame was still screaming bloody murder.

Chalice hovered overhead and came down while the Ame-nin was trying to spot where his pursuer. He landed softly on the ground behind the one who kidnapped Ayame. The girl in question's eyes widened in shock as she saw the armored man come down from the sky like a bird.

"_Let the girl go, or else_," Chalice warned, pointing at the Ame-nin. The ninja whirled around in shock. "_That's the only warning you'll get._" For some reason, Chalice _wanted_ the Ame-nin to resist. The Rider had to reign in those Undead instincts. He couldn't afford to let even Chalice go wild.

Wild…maybe he _should_ go 'Wild'.

The Ame-nin didn't seem to take much from Chalice's threat. His blank eyes took a boastful gleam as he stared down the Undead Rider.

"I'll take my chances," the Ame-nin replied. He drew what looked like an umbrella of some kind as he gripped Ayame tighter. She was going to be his ace in the hole if things got dicey.

"_Your funeral_," Chalice growled as he drew a card from his belt. This one depicted an animal similar to a mantis but had spikes growing on it. This was the Category King of Hearts; Evolution Paradoxa. "_Don't say I didn't try to warn you._"

Chalice brought the card to his belt and slashed it through.

"**Evolution!**"

The Ame-nin and Ayame's eyes widened in shock as thirteen cards flew out of his belt and grew larger in front of the Rider. The cards were all lined in a row, from Ace to King and both ninja and civilian could see what each card depicted.

After a second of hovering at the size of people, the thirteen cards flew back down and shrank as the got closer to Chalice. Amazingly, they didn't fly into his hand but were absorbed into his body! Chalice's body rippled in black aura as it shifted and changed yet again. As the aura vanished, Chalice had indeed changed again.

His bodysuit had turned into a crimson color and the tattoo designs had vanished. His armor itself was gold and black, but the heart in the centre had turned sickly green with the paradoxa emblem in the centre. Silver holsters were attached to his legs with some kind of weapons inside of them. Fins jutted from his shoulders for a fiercer look. His helmet had gold and crimson on it, but his horns had grown longer. His visor was still heart-shaped, but it had turned green like his chest plate.

"_Ahh,_" Wild Chalice sighed. He could feel the pressure he had in his Ace form melting away now that he had released more power. "_It feels good to go wild every now and then._"

Ayame had lost her voice as she witnessed the transformation for herself. Kyle hadn't been lying! Those cards of his really did have powers!

The Ame-nin was finding himself in a case of shock. He hadn't been informed on this! What did the one in front of him do to himself? Was he even human anymore? Questions whirled around the Ame-nin's head, but he still had a job to do. Pointing his umbrella, he readied himself for a fight.

The weapons on Wild Chalice's legs clicked as the handles were raised. The evolved Rider didn't hesitate as he grabbed them and drew two small scythes. He raised the two blades and crossed them in front of his chest.

"_Hraaaaaahhhhh!_" Wild Chalice roared before he charged at the Ame-nin who was holding his friend captive.

The Ame-nin threw his umbrella into the air and let it begin to fall down. It opened wide, unleashing numerous amounts of kunai which were aimed right at the charging Rider. Wild Chalice didn't seem to take much notice as he kept running towards his target. The kunai rained down closer and it seemed that he was going to become a large pincushion.

Wild Chalice then began twirling his scythes wildly. Each movement deflected several kunai, making ringing noises echo into the air. Kunai fell to the ground and Wild Chalice continued his charge towards the Ame-nin.

"What?!" the surprised ninja gasped in shock. That attack was supposed to either kill his opponent or make a nice diversion. He hadn't expected him to just plow through the kunai like they were nothing.

"_Take this!_" Wild Chalice cried as he slashed at the Ame-nin in front of him.

The surprised ninja had no choice but to leap away from the assault while letting Ayame go. The assistant ramen cook fell to the roof of the building they were on while Wild Chalice stepped in front of her. The Ame-nin got some distance between himself and the Rider and saw that he wasn't about to leave the girl alone.

"You should have pressed your advantage," he spoke as he drew another umbrella.

"_This mission is to rescue the captive,_" Wild Chalice answered as he gripped his scythes. "_Survival of the enemy is not part of the consideration._"

"Hmph!" The Ame-nin frowned as he hurled his second umbrella into the air.

Wild Chalice looked up and saw the item opening with another barrage of kunai coming at him. If his eyes were visible then they would have narrowed at the oncoming assault. It was time to show this guy that he wasn't fooling around. He folded his scythes and attached them together. He then summoned his Chalice Arrow and inserted the combined scythes where his belt Rouzer would normally go. Immediately, his thirteen Rouze Cards appeared in front of him with twelve in rows of four. The Ace pressed itself in the centre before all thirteen cards combined into one. It had a gold crest that depicted a sword, a cup, a bracelet, and a coin. The card then flew into Wild Chalice's hand where he slashed it through his weapon.

"**Wild!**" the new Rouzer cried as the image of the card was absorbed into his weapon. Wild Chalice brought back his arm like he was about to fire an arrow and aimed at the falling kunai. Without even blinking, he let go.

There was a flash of green light as a beam of green energy flew from the weapon. The kunai were vaporized on impact and the umbrella didn't fare much better. The beam had eventually died down and let Ayame and the Ame-nin get their sight back.

Wild Chalice looked at the Ame-nin and found him to be quite surprised. He raised his bow again and took careful aim at his opponent, "_The next one goes through you!_"

He was bluffing of course. The Wild attack was a finisher technique. It was capable of destroying anything it connected with. He had only ever seen it used once per transformation. He wasn't sure if he could do it again.

The Ame-nin shivered as his eyes narrowed, "This match goes to you, but the Chuunin Exams will be much tougher!"

With that, the Ame-nin vanished with a _Shunshin no Jutsu_ (Body Flicker Technique), leaving no trace.

Wild Chalice kept his stance for a few moments, unsure if there were more enemy ninjas hiding around before he finally relaxed. With the threat gone, he turned to see Ayame, still watching him in shock.

"_Are you okay, Ayame?_" he asked in concern.

"Uh…" the ramen girl blinked before she realized that Wild Chalice was talking to her. "Yes."

"_Good,_" Wild Chalice nodded. "_We'd better get you out of here before your father goes on the warpath for the Hokage's office._"

"Yeah," Ayame nodded. She was still stunned and thus didn't offer much resistance when Wild Chalice gathered her up in his arms before leaping away. There was going to be some explaining to do.

-----**Later**-----

Nightfall finally fell on Konoha with only three days left until the Chuunin exams began. Atop one of the many rooftops within the city limits, Kakashi could be seen gazing out at the night sky. He seemed oddly reflective as he seemed to be waiting for something. He didn't wait long as Iruka appeared behind him thanks to _Shunshin_.

"Well Iruka?" Kakashi asked. "Did you get your answers?"

"All ten of them passed the preliminary entrance exam," Iruka sighed. As much as he wanted his students to succeed, he still felt that this was a little early. "You also didn't mention just how much power the Rider could throw around."

"Oh?" Kakashi commented curiously. "Did it have anything to do with that pillar of green light that appeared today?"

"He somehow changed his form to an evolved one," Iruka explained. "He disintegrated the weapon used on him. He threatened to do the same to the one who was testing him."

"I knew he could upgrade his form," Kakashi explained. He was telling the truth too. He had witnessed the sight of King Blade back in Nami. "I haven't seen him use any attacks in that form though."

Iruka sighed. Things were going to get difficult in the future. He just hoped that his former students were going to be ready for it.

-----**Three Days Later**-----

The day had finally come for the members of Team 7. It was time for the Chuunin Exams to begin. There were only a few hours before.

Sasuke, Naruto, and Kyle were waiting outside the academy for their last team mate. Naruto had been awake at ungodly hours since he was so excited about it. He had been hounding Kyle that morning to get ready so they could beat everyone else to the academy. The Rider had to remind the blonde ninja that being there early didn't mean you would get better marks.

Eventually Naruto got Kyle off his butt before they headed out to the academy. As expected, Sasuke was already there looking as broody as ever. Several of the female Konoha applicants tried flirting with him before he ignored them and they moved on. A while after the boys were united, Sakura came along.

"Hey, Sakura-chan!" Naruto called out. "You're running late!"

"Sorry," Sakura smiled slightly. "I had my mind caught up in a few things."

"Did something happen?" asked Sasuke.

"No. I'm fine," the pink-haired girl answered. "Let's go."

"Yeah!" Naruto cheered. 'We're going to beat this thing!"

Sakura nodded as she and her team entered the academy. They walked up some stairs and turned to a hallway when they saw a large group of people hanging outside one of the classrooms with two other Genin guarding the door.

"C'mon! Let us through!" one Genin from the masses complained. A sharp crack was heard as a reply and someone could be seen stumbling back. Kyle saw the image of the Junior green beast of Konoha, Rock Lee, stumbling back while his teammate, the weapon mistress Tenten caught him.

"Please can you let us pass?" she asked, trying to appeal to the two Genin.

Another punch to the face was her reply. It got Kyle's blood boiling that they would hit a lady. Sure she was a kunoichi, but this wasn't a battle and the exam hadn't started. He was sorely tempted to change into one of his more terrifying Undead forms, but he knew he had to save them for the exams. No point in blowing any secrets he might have.

"You think we're just going to let you through?" asked one of the two Genin. "Heh. Cuunins are placed in charge of a team which means they are solely responsible for a mission's success or failure. If you think we're going to let a bunch of rookies like you through then think again."

"Quit posturing," Sasuke frowned as he stepped forward. "That Genjutsu you cast over this place is second rate."

The two Genin stiffened as the last Uchiha announced their little trap. The remaining Genin all gasped as they realized that they had been triacked. There was still the small doubt that he was wrong though.

"Sakura," Sasuke spoke. "You're the best with Genjutsu. Is there one?"

"Oh!" Sakura gasped, realizing that she had been complimented by her crush. She checked her surroundings before nodding. "Yes! These guys cast a Genjutsu to keep us from entering the exams!"

"Is she right, Kyle-nii?" asked Naruto.

"Yeah," Kyle nodded as he looked at the sign above the classroom. It read 301, but he knew that it really read 201. This was a preliminary entrance exam that the examiners had set up to weed out the weaker teams. After all, if you couldn't see through a single Genjutsu, then you weren't suited to be a Chuunin. Kyle knew that if he was in his Undead form, then he would be able to see through it without any effort. Well, if Sarutobi's theory held up anyway.

"Not bad," the Genin on the left smirked. "But just because you found it out doesn't mean we're going to let you through!"

The Genin then lunged for an upper kick that was aimed at Sasuke's head. The last Uchiha likewise was preparing his own punch to lay into the kid in front of him. Before the attacks could land though, there was a blur of green before someone planted himself between the two brawlers and caught their attacks.

'_Huh?_' Sasuke blinked in surprise. '_He caught my attack?_'

The one who had surprised Sasuke was none other than Rock Lee. Kyle smiled slightly from the sight. Seeing Sasuke rattled slightly was sure interesting. Also, Rock Lee's appearance was almost a carbon copy of Gai's.

"Lee, what did we say about standing out?" someone sighed in an annoyed voice.

Team 7 turned to see Lee's team mates coming to collect him. Kyle instantly recognized Tenten and Neji Hyuuga. He had nothing against Tenten, but Neji needed to get that stick pulled out of his ass. Thankfully, Naruto was more than capable of doing that.

"I think I know why he did it," Tenten smiled.

Lee was somewhat oblivious to his female teammate's words. Instead, his gaze was squarely on Sakura. There was also a blush on his face as he took on an adoring look as he took in Sakura's appearance.

"Yosh!" he cried happily. "My name is Rock Lee! I am also known as the Junior Green Beast of Konoha to my friends! I have a desire to ask for a date with the beautiful genius Sakura! Whom I swear to protect with my life until death does us part!"

Sakura sweatdropped at the loud declaration made towards her. Kyle was withholding the urge to either laugh or pity the spandex wearing boy. No one could say he wasn't enthusiastic about what he did.

"Uh," Sakura mumbled. "Well…I'm sorry but…You're just…Um, too unique for me."

Rock Lee flinched as if he was hit. An aura of gloom hovered over him as leaned against the wall with mumbles of 'too unique?' and the like.

"Way to put it gently, Sakura," Kyle deadpanned.

"Heh, now I can go out with Sakura-chan!" Naruto smiled. He went to try and prove his connection when the girl in question sauntered up next to Sasuke and began bothering him for a date again. In a heartbeat, Naruto was next to Lee with mumbles of 'no one cares about me'.

Kyle shook his head at the shenanigans. He was going to see about going upstairs and waiting for his team when he found Neji staring at him with his lavender eyes. The unblinking gaze was a little unnerving, but Kyle repressed the shiver running down his spine.

"Can I help you, Hyuuga-san?" he asked politely.

"Who are you?" he asked. "Most teams are three man cells. You are a fourth member to team 7."

"I am Kyle Jones," was the Rider's reply. "And you are?"

"Neji Hyuuga," the branch house member replied. "Introductions met."

Kyle wanted to speak more, but there was a sudden movement before Lee and Tenten were beside their teammate, looking at Kyle curiously.

"You mean you're that Rider guy that Gai-sensei was talking about?" the weapons mistress asked.

"That's me," Kyle nodded. "I take it Gai-san was talking about me?"

"OOOHH!" Lee cheered. "GAI-SENSEI SPOKE VOLUMES ABOUT THE MIGHTY YOUTH YOU POSESSED! WE HAVE BEEN TRAINING EXTRA HARD TO MATCH IT!"

"I'm honored then," Kyle smiled. "I may have managed to hit Gai-san in our spar, but he drew blood on me."

"BUT GAI-SENSEI WORE THAT MIGHTY BRUISE PRAISING OUR NEWEST COMRADE TO THE LEAF!" Lee cheered.

Kyle smiled. It seemed he had earned Gai and Lee's respect for his fighting abilities and his pleasant attitude. It was still yet to be seen if Tenten and Neji would warm up to him like Lee had. Well, Neji probably wouldn't with his icy attitude.

"I'm flattered then," Kyle smiled. He spared a glance at his team mates and saw that Naruto had recovered and that Sasuke wanted to get a move on. "As much as I'd like to keep this conversation going, it looks like my team and I are going to be at the third floor. Hope to see you there."

He waved politely before meeting up with the rest of team 7. Sasuke and Sakura went along as they usually did, but Naruto looked like he was about to jump out of his skin if he didn't get there fast enough. They didn't get too far before Lee reappeared and stepped in front of them again.

"Hmm," he pondered as he gazed at Sasuke. "If I am not mistaken, you are Sasuke Uchiha, the number one rookie from this year's graduating class, correct?"

"I am," Sasuke replied coldly. "What do you want?"

Lee smiled before he began getting into a Taijutsu stance, "I wish to fight you. I wish to compare my hard work against your genius!"

"Hnn," Sasuke smirked. Kyle knew the look in the last Uchiha's eyes. He had seen it in the series enough times. The last Uchiha had been very eager to fight Lee and Gaara in the Chuunin exams after he saw a glimpse of what they had been capable of. "Okay."

Both Genins held their battle positions for a moment before Lee decided to make the first move. He charged forward as Sasuke prepared to strike back. At the last moment, Lee ducked to the side, shocking Sasuke who was expecting a forward attck. Before he could try to see where Lee had gone too, the bushy-eyed Genin slugged Sasuke across the face, sending the last Uchiha stumbling back. Sasuke recovered quickly before he and Lee began going at each other again. Kyle watched the fight until Sasuke announced he was going to use his Sharingan. Lee went for another strike that Sasuke tried to block, but Lee still managed to hit him before his guard could be up.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura gasped. Seeing her idol getting hurt like that always made her gasp in fear.

"Chicken-butt's in trouble," Kye sighed.

"What do you mean Kyle-nii?" asked Naruto confusedly.

"To someone like Sasuke, Lee is the absolute worst opponent he can go against," Kyle explained as he saw Lee and Sasuke fighting each other. "You see, the Sharingan is more than capable of picking up movements of Ninjutsu and Genjutsu since they allow the user to see so much more clearly and memorize the hand seals. However, if someone is moving too fast for the user to see, say like a Taijutsu specialist, the Sharingan might not be able to keep up. In this case, Sasuke may be able to track Lee's movements, but his body isn't conditioned well enough to keep up with his eyes. In short, if Sasuke doesn't do something tricky soon, then he's going to lose."

"Really?" Naruto gasped.

"Yeah," Kyle nodded. "Lee's hard work is overcoming Sasuke's supposed genius."

There was a loud slam as Sasuke was knocked into the air by Lee. Kyle recognized the technique as Lee followed Sasuke and caught him in midair. It was the Forward Lotus technique. The Rider caught a glimpse of Sasuke's eyes and saw that they were red. Sasuke had activated definitely the Sharingan to fight Lee and found it lacking. He did manage to copy the Forward Lotus though. They'd be seeing it later if things worked out.

Before Lee could get further into using his Forward Lotus technique, a shuriken was hurled and caught the bandage that Lee was going to use to confine Sasuke with. Lee aborted his move and landed on the ground while Sasuke came crashing down. A blast of white smoke appeared nearby, signaling someone appearing. As it cleared, both of them were getting to their feet. In front of them was a large turtle with a Konoha hitae-ate around its neck and a frown on its face.

"Lee!" the turtle scolded. "You know that the Forward Lotus technique is only meant to be used in emergencies!"

Lee gulped and looked to the floor, "I…I forgot. Please forgive me!"

Everyone blinked at the large turtle which was scolding the green-clad Genin. Naruto just gazed at it and scratched his head, "Hey Kyle-nii. Can turtles be teachers?"

"I'd say this turtle is actually a summons of Lee's teacher," Kyle shrugged. Although he couldn't recall Gai actually using a summons before, he was sure it was his. "Don't quote me on that though."

"It's out of my hands now, Lee," the turtle sighed. "You'll have to face HIM."

"Oh no!" Lee gasped. "I can't!"

"Oh yes," the turtle nodded. "Here's GAI-SENSEI!"

"DYNAMIC ENTRY!" another vigorous cry through a puff of smoke. The puff of smoke actually appeared on top of the shell of the turtle. When it cleared, Kyle easily recognized the form of Gai in one of his 'youthful' poses.

"Lee!" Gai spoke sternly. "Have you forgotten what I taught you? You should have remembered what I told you about using such a technique!"

"I'm sorry Gai-sensei!" Lee sobbed comically. "I had forgotten the lesson you taught me! Forgive me!"

Gai just seemed stern for a moment before he broke out in a large grin, "Yosh! You're still young Lee! We all make mistakes! Your youthful excitement just got the better of you for a moment!"

Lee began to tear up at his teacher's forgiveness, "Gai-sensei! I will train even harder to control my excitement! I will even run 500 laps around Konoha!"

"Lee!" Gai began to cry. "Your youthfulness shines so brightly! It makes me proud to be your teacher!"

"GAI-SENSEI!"

"LEE!"

"GAI-SENSEI!"

The teacher and student pair began to hug and cry together while an image of a sunset and crashing ocean appeared behind them. Kyle resisted the urge to rub his eyes. He had heard about this sort of thing happening in fanfiction and had seen it in the anime, but he never thought that it actually happened for real. The world was truly full of amazing and strange things.

As Lee and Gai began to calm down, Gai finally took notice of Team 7. He noticed Kyle and instantly his face broke out into another wide grin.

"Ah Kyle-kun!" he smiled. "I see that you have decided to take part in the Chuunin exam!"

"Yes I have Gai-san," Kyle nodded, trying to get the image of the sunset and two crying males out of his head. "It is good to see you before I go in. I heard from your student that I left a bruise from our encounter. Nothing serious I hope.

"YOSH!" Gai laughed loudly. "IT WAS NOTHING THE POWER OF YOUTH CANNOT STAND! I WEAR IT PROUDLY AS A BADGE OF HONOR FOR YOUR ACCEPTANCE HERE IN KONOHA!"

"You honor me," Kyle laughed. Gai was definitely a character. "I just hope that I can impress the examiners for this exam just as much."

"I have every confidence that you will!" Gai smiled with a thumb sticking up. Even his teeth were sparkling. He then noticed the rest of Team 7. "Ah, I see the rest of Kakashi's team has come with you."

"You know Kakashi-sensei?" asked Sasuke.

"Of course!" Gai grinned. "He and I are eternal rivals! We constantly go against each other in competitions to see which of us is the better ninja!"

"Woah!" Naruto gasped. In his eyes, this was incredibly cool. He was actually meeting Kakashi's rival! It didn't get much better than this.

"In fact," Gai grinned. "I am actually stronger than Kakashi! Our score stands at 49-50 in my favor!"

"Wow!" Naruto gasped.

Kyle shook his head with a smile. Things were going exactly on track as far as he had seen in the manga and anime. As Gai waved them off, the team of four made their way up the stairs towards the real room 301.

They reached the third floor and found the room they were looking for. It wasn't a terribly hard place to find. Kakashi was leaning near the door and reading his usual orange book filled with smut. He looked up from his world of ecchi and saw his team walking towards him.

"Yo," he 'smiled' in his usual way. "I'm glad to see that you all got here and are willing to attend."

"Huh?" Sakura blinked. "What do you mean 'willing to attend'?"

"Well, you see, only teams of three, or in your case, four, are allowed to enter the Chuunin Exams," Kakashi explained. "If one of you decided that you didn't want to take part, then none of you would be allowed to enter, even if you did have an extra person."

Sakura gulped slightly at Kakashi's explanation. She had been having her doubts about entering the exams, but now she was happy she did. She wouldn't be able to forgive herself if she had held back 'Sasuke-kun' in any way. She also might not feel too good about holding Naruto from achieving his dream of being Hokage. Kyle might have been more forgiving, but he would probably have been upset with her for a while.

"Well," Kakashi sighed as he gestured to the doors of room 301. "Don't let me keep you away. You four still have an exam to take. Good Luck."

The three younger Genin swallowed and headed to open the doors. Kyle resigned himself to what was going to happen and followed his team.

The doors creaked open slightly as the four Genin entered where the exam was going to be taking place.

They found themselves staring at hordes of Genin from various ninja villages. Each and every one of them was staring at them as they entered the room. Sakura, Naruto, and Sasuke all had various sweat drops of nervousness as they took in the sight. Even Kyle, who had been expecting what he was seeing, was feeling the pressure from the combined glares.

"What?" he asked. "Is there something on our faces?"

There were only a few quiet snorts from the audience, but he could have sworn there was a growl or two coming from one of the Iwa teams. Shrugging it off, Team 7 entered the room.

'_There are so many people here,_' Sakura thought warily to herself. '_They look incredible._'

"SASUKE-KUN!" a girl's voice squealed. Sasuke immediately found someone hugging him around his neck and pressing their body to his back. "Ooh! Where have you been? I could hardly wait to see you again after all this time!"

Kyle glanced over and noticed a pretty blonde firmly attached to Sasuke. Her golden hair and purple clothes were a dead giveaway. This was Ino Yamanaka, a member of the second generation Ino-Shika-Cho trio. She was the heir of a powerful line of mind manipulator users, but any skill she did have was ruined by her fangirl approach of talking to Sasuke.

The Rider looked to Sakura and saw the vein appearing on her forehead. He knew where this was going. Sakura and Ino had been rivals for years since they had met Sasuke. They had been friends beforehand and had decided that some guy was more important than being friends or even being proper kunoichi. In Kyle's opinion, they had been so busy dieting and obsessing over their looks for Sasuke, they didn't put any real effort into their ninja abilities. Well, except for chakra control for Sakura and Ino's family technique.

"Get your hooves off him, Ino-pig!" Sakura shrieked while pointing at Ino, who was still draping herself over Sasuke.

"Hello to you too, Sakura," Ino smirked. "Still hoping the mutated forehead will come into fashion?"

The fight between the girls was going to be getting hot unless something happened. Naruto was already getting out of their way while Sasuke seemed to be trying to mentally force Ino off of him. Thankfully, a distraction was on the way.

"Hey, can you guys cut it out?" someone new sighed. "Man, this is beginning to be more troublesome than I thought."

Kyle turned to the voice and saw Ino's teammates from Team 10 walking towards them. One was a chubby fellow with orange hair that was sticking out in two spikes. He had swirl marks on his cheeks and was actually eating a bag of chips. Kyle instantly recognized him as Chouji Akamichi, the ninja who hated being called fat and who could crush you if you did.

The other male was a thinner guy with black hair tied up in what looked kind of like a pineapple. He had a fishnet shirt underneath a simple vest and his hands in his pockets. It didn't take much for Kyle to recall his face. This was Shikamaru Nara, the eternally lazy ninja. He was a genius strategist, but incredibly lazy elsewhere, even with his shadow techniques.

"Well, if it isn't the three stooges," Naruto snickered.

"Don't call us that," Shikamaru sighed. "This test is more trouble than it's worth."

Kyle shook his head as he listened to Shikamaru complain. The lazy ninja would much rather watch the clouds go by than be a ninja. Kyle had heard that his mother was the reason he did much of anything. She had a loud screeching voice too if what he heard was true.

"Well, well," another person snickered. "It looks like the gang is all here."

Everyone turned to see who had spoke and Kyle let out a quiet sigh. It looked like Team 8 had made its appearance at long last.

The one leading the group was a boy in a large jacket that had messy black hair and red markings on his cheeks. Kyle could actually smell the dog smell from where he was. It was only enhanced by the small dog hitching a ride on top of his head. They were Kiba Inuzuka and his partner Akamaru. Kiba was a pretty loud guy who was confident in his abilities. He also threw his weight around a lot and needed a kick in the butt to straighten his head out.

The second male of the group was a boy in a large green jacket which had the collar turned up and hid his mouth. He had a pair of dark sunglasses on and his hair was bushy with his hitai-ate seemingly holding it up. Again, Kyle could tell who this was. His name was Shino Aburame. He was in possession of a kikai beetle hive inside of his body which helped make up his family techniques. He seemed like a pretty serious guy most of the time. Kyle sometimes wondered if he even knew how to smile.

The third member of the group and the only female had a large jacket on and a pretty pair of lavender eyes which marked her as a Hyuuga. She was looking down at the ground and keeping out of eye contact. She had short dark hair and was fidgeting with her fingers. This was the adorable Hinata Hyuuga. Kyle thought that she was a good prospect for Naruto in the girlfriend department, but only if she would just open up a little and actually tell the dope how she felt. When it came to girls, Naruto knew nothing and would never pick up on Hinata's behavior.

As Team 8 walked closer, Akamaru started acting a little strange. He was whimpering a little and pressing himself against Kiba's hair, trying to be harder to notice. The Inuzuka boy took notice of his partner's distress.

"Hey Akamaru, what's with you?" he asked. Akamaru went into a series of whimpers that obviously meant something to Kiba, but was jibberish to the other Genin. Kyle idly wondered if he could understand them if he was in his Wolf Undead form.

When Akamaru finished, Kiba looked pointedly at Kyle with a frown, "What's your deal, buddy? Akamaru says that your scent is saturated with weird stuff. It's freaking him out!"

Silently, Shino was asking the same question. His beetles were being cautious of the new Genin. They couldn't tell him anything definitive, but they did know that they did not like what they felt. It was almost like he was a predator, but he also wasn't. It was confusing, but the feeling of dread for the beetles was there.

Everyone's eyes were now trained on Kyle, waiting for an answer to Kiba's question. Sakura, Naruto, and Sasuke had an idea what was freaking Akamru out. It was the Undead. Kyle had been changing into his other forms in the past few days so the scent of those forms probably lingered on him for a while. Akamaru was trained as a ninja dog so he could probably feel the power of the Rouze Cards. They had certainly freaked out the three Genin when they first saw them at work.

"Heh," Kyle smirked. "I can't help it if my power freaks out your partner. You'd do well to listen to him though. He probably can guess what you're going to be up against if you decide to pick a fight with me. As for what it is, do you think I'd tell you? Here when we're about to take an exam which pits us against each other? Dream on."

Kiba began to growl angrily at the answer. Akamaru could feel the aggression coming from his partner and whimpered a little more, trying to get him to edge away from the Rider.

"Glad to see one of you newbies has some common sense," yet another new voice spoke.

The Genins' attention was turned to the owner of the voice and Kyle's eyes narrowed. Standing in front of them was the silver-haired Kabuto. He was wearing dark clothes and glasses on his face. He was wearing a Konoha hitai-ate, but Kyle knew that it was probably disguised and that it was actually an Oto one. As much as Kyle wanted to expose the creep, he knew that he couldn't do it without proof. Still, he might be able to rattle him if he said his words right.

"Most of you would-be hotshots are barely out of the academy right?" he asked. "Its obvious since all of you are still wet behind the ears."

"And who the hell do you think you are?" Sasuke asked with narrowed eyes.

"Name's Kabuto," the Oto spy introduced. "The point is you kids need to open your eyes."

"And why is that?" asked Sakura.

"He means because there are a lot of ninjas here on edge since they're taking the exam," Kyle spoke up. "Especially the Ame and Iwa-nins. Ame-nins are always stressed and Iwa especially doesn't like Konoha. One wrong move and they'll start picking fights to cut down on the competition."

"Exactly," Kabuto nodded. He seemed impressed with Kyle's speech. "Talking about what moves you know are also a quick way to suicide. You all remind me when I was first taking this exam. Brings back memories."

"So, are you saying that this is your second time applying for the exam?" Sakura asked curiously.

"Nope," Kabuto denied. "This would be my seventh time. The Exam is held about twice a year, so I've been at this for about four years now."

"So then you have a lot of experience with what we're going to be up against," Sakura concluded. She felt hope rising up in her, it seemed she might have a shot after all.

"I guess," Kabuto shrugged with a growing smile. Kyle didn't like that look. Kabuto knew he was gaining the trust of the Genin and he might end up using that trust against them before long.

"All right!" Naruto grinned. "Kabuto, you are the man!"

"Cute," Kabuto smirked. "Tell you what, since we're all Konoha-nins, I'll share some of the information I've collected for this year with something I call shinobi skill cards."

"Shinobi skill cards?" asked Sakura.

"Yeah," Kabuto nodded as he pulled a deck of cards out of his pouch. "Simply put, these cards have information about shinobi engraved on them in the form of symbols by use of chakra."

The card that Kabuto pulled off the top was blank with only the symbol of shinobi on the back. He placed the card on the floor where the Genin circled around him, hoping to get a look. Kyle hung around the outside, but still wanted to see. It wasn't everyday that he got to see chakra use at work that wasn't formed in some attack that was aimed at him.

"By concentrating my chakra into it like so," Kabuto explained as he made a one-handed symbol. His chakra flowed into the card and an image began to appear. "I get the information easily."

"It's some kind of map with graphs," Ino commented as she looked at the finished picture.

"Exactly," Kabuto nodded. "It shows just how many applicants are taking the Exam and where they are from."

"Thirty from Suna, twenty-one from Ame, six from Kusa, six from Taki, eighty-seven from Konoha, and three from Oto," Kyle read. "Konoha has the most since its hosting, but I doubt that any of these other countries are sending just anyone for the exams."

"Are you sure you're a newbie?" Kabuto asked with a smirk. "You're sounding way smarter than any of these rookies."

"A little common sense goes a long way Kabuto-san," Kyle smirked at the silver-haired spy. "It's something that seems to be in short supply these days."

"I agree with you," Kabuto nodded.

Sasuke apparently got fed up with the talking around him. He stepped up to Kabuto and leveled an even stare at him, "Do you also have cards that have data on individual applicants?"

"Sure," Kabuto shrugged. "They're far from complete, but if you can tell me something about them, then I can find them for you."

"Good," Sasuke nodded. "The ones I'm looking for are Sabaku no Gaara from Suna, Rock Lee from Konoha, and Kyle Jones from Konoha."

"You know their names," Kabuto smiled. "I can get them easily for you."

Kabuto swiped his hand over the deck of cards and picked three cards out from the assembled ones. He placed them on the ground before putting his chakra into each one, letting the information appear on them.

"Here you go," Kabuto smiled as he presented them.

Each card had a small picture of who they were talking about, which land they came from, which village they were aligned with, pictures of the teammates and teacher, how many missions they were on, and how they stacked up in the ninja arts. It even told what their preferred weapon was.

"First up is Rock Lee," Kabuto spoke as he picked up the Taijutsu user's card. "He's a year older than most you rookies and had thirty one missions to date. From the looks of it, he's done twenty D-rank and eleven C-rank missions. His specialty is Taijutsu, which he excels in, but he doesn't seem to have any other mentionable skills. He was considered the strongest of the Genin who graduated last year, but he didn't take the test. This will be his first Exam. His teacher is Maito Gai and his teammates are Neji Hyuuga and Tenten."

Sasuke nodded at the information. So Rack Lee had some missions under his belt and lengthy training from Gai. No wonder he was so tough.

"Next we have Sabaku no Gaara," Kabuto continued. "Eight C-rank missions and…woah! A B-ranked one. Not many rookies get one of those. Since he's from way out in _Kaze no Kuni_ (Wind Country) I have less on him. What I do have however tells me that he's come back from every mission unscathed."

Sasuke frowned at the information. That was less than what Kyle had told him about the Suna-nin. It spoke about his skill though. Rookies don't often get B-rank missions unless they had the power and abilities to back them up.

"Finally we have Kyle Jones," Kabuto smiled. "Well, he seems to have eight D-rank missions…and one A-rank?! Wow. You must be something. Seems you originated from Nami and moved here in _Hi no Kuni_ where you became a Konoha-nin. Says your Ninjitsu and Taijutsu skills are decent and that you have a partial immunity to Genjutsus. Weird…it says that your preferred weapons are things called 'Rouze Cards'. Must be something special to use cards as a weapon."

Most of the Rookie 9 started looking at Kyle as if he was from another planet. Being part of an A-rank mission was practically unheard of. Still, Kyle knew that some of his secrets were being blown thanks to Sasuke's desire to know more. The last Uchiha frowned even more at what he heard. He knew more about Kyle and his alias as the Rider than Kabuto did.

"Interesting," Kyle spoke up. "I do wonder how a Genin managed to get his hands on information like this."

"Eh, you sniff around and you can find anything," Kabuto shrugged, brushing the question off. Kyle's eyes narrowed further. Now Kabuto was trying to avoid questions. The silver-haired Genin just continued talking, "Konoha, Suna, Ame, Kusa, Taki, and Oto. All these villages have sent their best to this Exam to compete. Still, Oto is the newest so I don't have much intelligence on them. The other villages are all well-respected and home to some powerful ninjas."

"I'd be careful about talking about Oto like that," Kyle warned. "There might be some _snakes_ in the grass who are listening in."

If Kabuto had heard the emphasis on the word snakes, he didn't show it. Still, Kyle knew that it might be enough to get Kabuto suspicious of what he knew and rattle his cage a little. Everyone knew that a nervous person was prone to make mistakes.

"Perhaps," he shrugged. "But remember that all these ninja are going to do whatever it takes to pass. They have to on account that the test is pitiless."

Naruto heaved a sigh and looked to the ground. There were some visible shivers trembling through his body. To the casual observer, it looked like he was trembling in fear. Kyle knew that was the farthest from the truth. Actually, Naruto was about to do something that the Rider found very brave, even if it was very dumb. Sakura, on the other hand, was attempting to comfort the orange clad ninja when he suddenly leaped up and pointed at the collected ninjas in front of him.

"LISTEN UP!" he shouted. "MY NAME IS NARUTO UZUMAKI AND NONE OF YOU ARE GONNA BEAT ME!! YOU GOT THAT?"

Kyle laughed quietly as he heard Naruto make his challenge. The collected ninja didn't seem as impressed as they threw their dirtiest looks at the hyperactive blonde. Sakura slapped her forehead in exasperation. This was not what they needed to deal with at the moment. Sasuke just snorted as he resigned himself to whatever would happen next. Kabuto made a quiet smirk as he watched the blonde go.

"Whew!" Naruto sighed. "That felt great!"

Out in the crowd, the Suna team of Gaara, Kankuro, and Temari heard the blonde and spotted him easily. The Ichibi Jinchuruki scanned the small crowd and spotted the one who'd spotted him several days ago. He was leaning against the wall with a smile on his face, almost like he knew what was going to happen. He was a curiosity to Gaara. He could change into such a monstrosity which frightened his brother and sister. Yet, the ones who made up his team, they appeared to be used to it, even unafraid. How could someone who could turn into something so terrifying have friends? It made no sense to Gaara. How could a monster have friends?

Elsewhere in the crowd, thee Genin with Oto headbands glared at Kabuto, who had made their village sound so trivial. It made them sound like a bunch of back water rednecks that were only playing ninja.

"Want to have some fun with them?" asked a boy with black hair which was stacked almost like a broom.

"Sounds good," another Oto Genin with his head done up in bandages nodded. "He underestimates us in _Otogakure_. Why don't we show him where his intelligence is lacking?"

"Definitely," the single girl smirked. She had long black hair and looked the most normal of the three. "At least that tall one knows when to respect real ninjas."

All three of them snickered. Some fun was definitely on the way. They had been just itching for the chance to do some damage anyway.

Back with the Rookie 9, Shikamaru was watching the collected ninja sending their glares. He sighed and shook his head in tired resignation.

"He just turned an entire room of strangers into enemies," he sighed. "Troublesome."

"Maybe for Team 7," Kyle smiled. "But he may have made things less troublesome for you if everyone here aims to shut him up."

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow at Kyle's comment and shrugged. He did have a point with that one, but it wouldn't last long. Not since it was painfully obvious that the collected Konoha-nins were rookies and thus easy targets. He looked at Naruto and saw that Sakura was already sticking him in a headlock and crabbing at him about being stupid. It reminded the lazy ninja about how Ino would crab at him and Chouji about being lazy.

Kyle himself was keeping an eye on the crowd of collected ninja. If things were going to be on schedule, then the Oto Trio was due to make an appearance by taking a shot at Kabuto. It was funny since they didn't know that he worked directly under Orochimaru.

Kyle heard the sounds of someone moving, and Kabuto seemed to have caught the sound too. Everyone else was too busy listening to Sakura crab at Naruto to pay any attention. As a precautionary action, Kyle slipped his hand into his pocket and gripped the Ace of Hearts in case thing got heated for some reason he didn't foresee.

From above, the brook-headed Oto Genin Kyle recalled as Zaku leaped into view and threw a pair of kunai. Kabuto leaped back to avoid the attack. As he looked up, the bandaged face was already in his face with his fist clenched and a strange gauntlet on his arm. By now, the rest of the Genin had long since noticed the attack happening. The Sound Genin Kyle recalled being named Dosu punched at Kabuto, only to miss as Kabuto managed to dodge the blow. He smirked for only a moment before his glasses cracked and shattered.

'_Hmm,_' the silver-haired spy thought. '_So this is his kind of attack,_'

"What's going on?" Sasuke frowned. "He dodged the blow and something still broke his glasses!"

"Probably got grazed," Shikamaru shrugged. "Serves him right for acting all superior."

"I doubt it," Kyle frowned. In the series he hated how the Oto Trio would act all superior just because of some pretty gadgets Orochimaru gave them. It was time to rattle their cages a little. "I saw something on that bandaged guy's arm. Since these guys are from Hidden Sound, I'll bet my left nut that it's something that manipulates sound waves. If you have the right frequency, you don't need physical blows to break glass."

Dosu flinched slightly when he heard Kyle's explanation. He stared over at the older Genin with some suspicion in his eyes. He had been sure that he moved too fast for anyone to see his gauntlet. Had he blown his signature attack already?

Thankfully, there was a distraction when Kabuto began to tremble. He dropped to his knees before he threw up on the floor with a loud gagging noise.

"Oh man!" Naruto gasped. "He's throwing up!"

"Kabuto?!" Sakura gasped in worry.

The collected Genin all cast their gazes over to the small altercation that had taken place between the three Oto Genin and Kabuto. They had all seen it coming, and the blow that had been dealt at Kabuto, but what they hadn't figured out was what had been used to make him throw up if he had dodged the attack.

"Lee," Neji whispered to his teammate from within the crowds. "What did that look like to you?"

"Hmm," Lee frowned as he considered what he had seen. "He had seen through the attack, but there must have been something else that caused him to be sick. It is possible that Kyle-kun may be right about the sound waves."

Back with the Genin, Zaku had been joined by his teammates as they looked down at Kabuto.

"Add this to your cards," he smirked. "All three of us from _Otogakure_ are going to make Chuunin this year!"

Kyle smirked as he heard Zaku declare how great he and his team were. He had only made the smallest of snickers, but obviously the hearing of Oto-nins was very sharp since all three of them turned to glare at him.

"You find something funny?" Zaku growled.

Kyle wasn't one for fighting unless he had to, but it was arrogant people like Zaku and Orochimaru who really got him mad. They thought they were the cream of the crop since they had been taught my some powerful teacher or knew so many unique techniques. It was time to rattle some cages again. He was probably going to be on their hit lists, but egging on bad guys was always fun.

"Yeah," Kyle snorted. "I find the concept of you three becoming Chuunin laughable, with cheap tricks like yours anyway."

"Cheap tricks?!" Zaku growled as he started towards the Rider. "You want to start something?"

"Anytime, sound slummie," Kyle snickered.

Before anyone could either help or stop the impending fight, there was a loud explosion at the front of the room which made a cloud of white smoke. As it began to clear, there were several men and women in uniforms with a guy in a black trench coat and scars on his face leading them all.

"Everyone, shut the hell up!" the scarred man shouted out, making sure everyone was silent. He then glared at the back where Kyle was staring down Zaku. "You bunch back there, no fighting unless you want to be disqualified!"

"Sorry, sir," Dosu replied while bringing Zaku away from Kyle. "It's our first exam. We got a little carried away."

"Hmph," the man growled. "Well then, my name is Ibiki Morino. And I'm going to lay down some ground rules which should be simple enough for you brats to follow."

Kyle listened intently as Ibiki explained how doing anything without the distinct permission of an examiner will lead to disqualification. The glare that the scarred man was leveling at everyone was nothing short of terrifying. Kyle had to constantly remind himself that Ibiki was playing mind games with everyone. This was part of the exam itself.

"That said," Ibiki continued after he explained the initial rules. "Now the first part of the examination can commence. You are all to turn in your applications and take a seating assignment card. You'll then report to that seat. Once everyone is seated, we'll pass out the written portion of the test."

"A WRITTEN TEST?!" Naruto cried out loudly.

No one seemed to listen to him as the ninjas shuffled to the front to hand in their applications. Kyle handed his in and got handed a number. He found himself seated near the front of the room next to a surly looking Iwa-nin and another Konoha-nin who had some marks on his chin. Naruto was behind him somewhere talking to Hinata while Sakura and Sasuke were even farther back. Sakura was easy enough to spot by her pink hair.

When everyone was seated, Ibiki began explaining the point system of the test. Basically, everyone started with ten points and lost one when they got a question wrong. Ibiki then went on to explain how cheaters would be subtracted two points. He finished up stating that anyone who loses all their points will get their team disqualified.

Kyle only half-listened to Ibiki's speech. He had read over this in the manga too many times to count and knew exactly what the point was. This was a test for information gathering skills. One had to cheat so well they couldn't get caught. He also knew that these questions were going to be too hard for the average Genin to answer without cheating. Kyle knew that he could just wait for the tenth question and pass with that, but this probably his only chance to see just how well he could gather information with the Rouze Cards.

The question was how would he use them?

Just to use whatever abilities they had demanded him to transform. That alone would get him some attention from the examiners. It would make them suspicious of him too. Still, using a transformation technique in the middle of an exam really didn't mean cheating. It would terrify some Genin and really cause some chaos. That would let Naruto attempt to get some answers from Hinata anyway. The problem was that some of his Rouze Cards were way too obvious.

Using Kick Locust to generate locusts to use as minions and using them to collect the answers was out of the question. They stood out too much.

The same could be said for Float Dragonfly. While dragonflies were harder to notice, they would definitely stand out to those who were paying attention and the examiners were definitely going to pay attention.

That, and both cards were associated with insects and he didn't want to steal Shino's gimmick.

Gel Jellyfish was a better choice. If he played it right, he could turn a portion of himself into water and let the water travel to someone who was cheating and get the answers of that person. If the person pointed out that he was cheating, then it would only bring attention to his own activities. Still, there was the chance that the person he would pick wasn't cheating and wouldn't mind ratting him out.

The Smog Squid might help by covering the area in smoke. The only trick would be picking out someone who had most of the answers, getting them, and getting back to his seat before the smoke cleared and he got caught. Even so, there would be a lot of ninjas who would use the smoke as cover for their own cheating as well.

Most of the remaining Rouze Cards wouldn't be much help since they didn't have much in terms of infiltration. They had more of a battle talent which made them useful outside of this event.

'_Wait,_' Kyle thought to himself. '_There might be one I can use._'

"You have one hour," Ibiki spoke up, wrapping up his speech. "Start…NOW!"

All the Genin turned over their tests and began reading over the questions. Kyle only looked at the first one and instantly knew that he wasn't going to be able to answer it. So he resigned himself to waiting. He had to time this right or Naruto wouldn't get the chance to have any of the answers. The Rider wasn't sure, but part of the overall decision in being a Chuunin might be how they do on this test and Naruto deserved to be promoted after the hell he went through in stopping Gaara in the manga.

And so the test continued. Kyle was sure that many of the examinees had cheated already. They were just too good to notice or at least prove that they were cheating. A soft woofing signaled that Akamaru was getting answers for Kiba from his vantage point, but since no one could understand dog, they couldn't prove anything. Kyle looked to some of the lights and noticed something reflective coming from one of them. It seemed Tenten went for her mirror trick to get the answers to her teammates. A buzzing noise caught Kyle's attention and he saw something small flying away from a Kusa-nin behind him. Shino's work no doubt.

A 'thunk' sound captured his attention next. Kyle turned to the source and saw that a Konoha-nin behind Naruto had been caught. The examiners were already dragging his team out. The hyperactive blonde was shivering from the shock. No doubt this test was raking on his nerves. He looked like he was going to have a nervous breakdown soon. Kyle just kept his eye trained on the blonde. His moment was about to turn up. He kept his eye there until he saw Hinata lean over a little to whisper something to Naruto.

'_Now!_' Kyle thought hurriedly to himself. He went into his pocket and pulled out the card he was looking for. He then willed the Joker Belt to appear on his waist before he slashed the card through it.

"**Thief!**" the belt called before Kyle began to change. The black aura surrounded him as his form began to change again. He bulked up considerable before the aura vanished. His new form was deep green and scaled with a tail curled up behind him. His head was oddly shaped with bulging eyes similar to a chameleon. His body was covered in black leather straps and black armor which looked like it was part of him.

"AHHHHHH!!" the Iwa-nin screamed as he struggled to get away.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" the Konoha-nin beside him cried out as he scrambled away.

All the Genin around Kyle/Chameleon Undead were scrambling to get back. It was perfectly understandable. One minute you're taking an exam and the next, a guy sitting near you turns into a certifiable monster. Who wouldn't be afraid?

It was having the desired effect. Everyone's attention was being turned towards Kyle and his new Undead body, even the examiners. Almost all of them had their mouths hanging open in surprise at what they were looking at. Even Ibiki was staring with his eyes bulging widely.

Naruto was surprised to see his 'nii-san' openly using his power like that. Of course, that was until he saw that all the examiners were busy staring or trying to get a look at what was going on up at the front. The whiskered blonde began to smirk when he realized what this meant.

This was his chance to cheat without getting caught!

"Hinata-chan!" he whispered to the lavender-eyed girl beside him. Her face turned a cute pink as he talked to her. "Do you think you can sneak me those answers?"

The shy Hyuuga turned pink from her shyness. Naruto needed her! Her heart was beating quickly as she positioned her arm and slipped the paper closer so that he could see her answers. Naruto was quick to begin copying her answers as quickly as he could. The shock value of Kyle's little trick wasn't going to last long and Naruto wanted to milk it for what it was worth.

"Thanks, Hinata-chan," Naruto whispered as he got the last answer. "I owe you one big time!"

Hinata blushed madly while smiling. Internally, she was celebrating that she was being helpful to Naruto. She was so afraid that he might fail since he wasn't the best when it came to paper tests. He was a source of inspiration to her so she was more than willing to give him her answers when he asked.

"Alright, alright! Everyone shut up!" Ibiki roared, catching everyone's attention. He turned to Kyle/Chameleon Undead and glared dangerously. "You! Undo that stupid _henge_ already! You're disrupting the exam!"

"_Heh,_" Kyle/Chameleon Undead snorted. "_Won't be a minute._"

He turned his gaze out to the collected Genin who were still staring at him. There was one he was looking for and he had to find her quick before Ibiki lost his temper and disqualified his team or something. He spied the head of pink hair and saw Sakura trying to ignore him while writing her answers.

'_There we go_,' Kyle/Chameleon Undead snorted in his thoughts. '_Let's hope this works!_'

Kyle/Chameleon Undead's body began to ripple and change again in a haze of energy. Instead of his body though, splotches of red and pink began to appear. His body began to shrink and the entire body shape began to change. When the change was complete, there was a picture perfect copy of Sakura Haruno sitting in Kyle Jones' seat.

"There," Kyle/Sakura smiled cutely. "I'll write the rest of the exam like this. Is there a problem, Mr. Examiner?"

She was using doe eyes in attempt to look cuter than she was. Ibiki just snorted and turned back to his post and glared at the Genin again, "Whatever. Just stop disrupting everyone or I will disqualify your team."

Kyle/Sakura smiled and turned back to her test. As she looked at the questions, they didn't look so impossible anymore. In fact, they looked easy enough to answer with just a little thought and calculation. She was going to pass these questions easy! She had no idea how she knew, but she had the knowledge needed to answer them so she was going to go for it.

Ibiki withheld a sigh. The Hokage had given him some data on that Jones kid. He didn't physically look like anyone from the Land of Fire so he was easy to pick out from the applicants. Ibiki had been told he had been able to change his form into several different creatures, but seeing that for himself was pretty darn strange. He looked to the Genin who were taking the exam and found them writing as usual. He looked to the examiners and each of them gave him notices that no one was cheating. It wasn't until he got to one that shook his head and looked to the Kyuubi kid.

'_I suspected him but got distracted by the chaos,_' was basically his message.

Ibiki stole a glance back at Jones, who was writing an answer for each question as fast as he/she could. He had to hand it to the kid. He had created a big distraction and allowed his teammate to cheat without getting caught. He definitely had teamwork and planning skills if he got that plan up on the fly just to help a teammate.

The test continued as scheduled. Kyle/Sakura felt she had answered the questions to the best of her ability and resigned herself to wait. Kankuro had gone to the bathroom with his puppet disguised as a proctor. Did he really think that they wouldn't notice an extra examiner? Wait…he did think that.

Ibiki and the other examiners continued to gaze at the Genin, waiting for the sign that someone was cheating. Kyle/Sakura could barely hold the giggle to herself. She had just cheated for the entire thing and none of them were the wiser. High School would have been a whole lot easier if she had this handy ability on call.

"All right," Ibiki finally spoke as he stood up. He put his hands in his pockets as he got the attention of all the Genin. "Get ready for the tenth question."

The entire room was tense as they waited for Ibiki's question. Some of them were banking on being able to answer the tenth question to pass. Kyle/Sakura just hoped that Naruto had taken the opportunity she had given him to get some answers so he wasn't one of those people.

"Before we get to the question though," Ibiki continued. "I'm going to be adding one more new rule."

-----**Jounin Lounge**-----

Kakashi had some time to kill while his students were taking the first part of the Chuunin exam so he was waiting in the Jounin lounge where he sometimes went to relax after a mission. Kurenai and Asuma had met up with him while he was waiting.

"Man," the one-eyed Jounin sighed. "With our subordinates tied up with the exam we really have some free time on our hands."

"I wouldn't worry about that," Asuma shrugged as he took a puff from his cigarette. "We'll be busy again before you know it."

"Why would that be?" Kakashi asked curiously. Obviously, Asuma knew something that he didn't.

"Heh," Asuma snickered. "Word is that the head examination officer this year is Ibiki Morino."

Kakashi sweatdropped at the news. Now that was something that his team could do without, "That sadist? Why did it have to be Ibiki?"

"Sadist?" Kurenai blinked in confusion. "Just what makes him a sadist?"

"You're new to being a Jounin so I'm not surprised you don't know him, Kurenai," Asuma shrugged.

"So then what is he like?" she asked.

"In short, a professional. A pro among pros," Asuma answered with another drag.

"A professional?" Kurenai wondered. She was beginning to get a little annoyed at how vague Asuma was being about Ibiki. Her team had to sit through this guy at the test too. "At what?"

"Torture and interrogation," was the young Sarutobi's reply.

"What?" Kurenai gasped.

"That's right," Kakashi nodded. "Konoha black ops. The torture and interrogation corps unit leader. Jounin commander Ibiki Morino."

"Right," Asuma nodded. "That guy knows the human mind like the back of his hand. That's what makes him so terrifying. He can find a person's weakness and manipulate them to the breaking point."

"No doubt he's using those skills to press the psychological pressures to the limit," Kakashi finished.

Kurenai now felt very concerned for her team. If he was as much of a sadist as her fellow Jounin were saying, then it was going to get very tense for the examinees.

-----**Classroom 301**-----

Everyone was now paying strict attention to what Ibiki was saying. If he was adding a new rule then they would have to follow it or else he might disqualify them for breaking it.

"First…you're going to have to choose if you want to accept or reject this question," he explained.

Kyle/Sakura knew what was coming. Ibiki was putting the final weight down on the minds of everyone there. He was trying to make them crack from all the pressure.

"Choose?!" Temari cried out. "What happens if we don't?!"

"Simple," Ibiki shrugged. "If you refuse the tenth question then you give up all your points. Then you and your team are disqualified."

"Then why would anyone choose to reject it?!" yelled a Kusa-nin from in the assorted Genin.

"Because of the other rule," Ibiki explained. "If you try to answer the tenth question and get it wrong, then you will NEVER be permitted to apply for the Chuunin Exams ever again!"

Kyle/Sakura just tried to ignore the assorted cries out outrage and Ibiki's aloofness. The interrogation expert went on to explain the finer points of the choices. A lot of teams quit when he finished. Kyle/Sakura just played with her hair, wondering just why the heck the real Sakura wanted it this long in the first place. She looked much cuter with short hair in her opinion.

A slam caught her attention before Naruto's voice rang through the room, "NEVER UNDERESTIMATE ME! I DON"T QUIT AND I WON'T RUN!"

Kyle/Sakura smiled. That was Naruto all right. The guy had some serious guts. Naruto continued yelling about how he wouldn't give up as he got rid of his doubts. As he did, Kyle/Sakura noticed that everyone else was beginning to dispel their own doubts.

Ibiki seemed to be noticing this as well. He scanned the room and saw everyone wearing defiant grins on their faces. He checked with the other examiners and got nods of confirmation. There was no point in dragging it out any further.

"All right then," Ibiki smirked as he faced the remaining teams. "For everyone who is still here…you've just passed the first exam!"

Stunned silence filled the room at Ibiki's proclamation. Several people couldn't believe their ears and were wondering if they were hearing things. Kyle/Sakura withheld the urge to laugh at their faces. They looked absolutely dumbstruck!

"That's right," Ibiki nodded. "All seventy-eight of you who remain have just passed the first exam."

"What do you mean passed?" asked the real Sakura. "What happened to the tenth question?"

"There was no tenth question," Ibiki grinned, looking almost like a kid who got away with an awesome prank. "Well, not beyond the whole accepting or rejecting thing anyway."

"Then why did we have to suffer through the other nine questions?!" demanded Temari. "That was a total waste of our time!"

Kyle/Sakura tuned the rest of the speech out. Ibiki was busy explaining just what qualities they were looking for. Of course, Naruto was acting like he had known the truth all along. The Rider in female form knew that he was faking it so he didn't look stupid in front of so many people. Ibiki just seemed to find the hyperactive blond amusing.

When the window smashed with someone leaping through it, Kyle/Sakura started paying attention again. The black blur threw two kunai into the ceiling with black cloth attached. When the blur came to a stop, it turned out to be a woman in a tan jacket with purple hair with a mini-skirt and fishnet shirt. A banner proclaiming her name was what she had stuck to the ceiling for all to see.

'_And WHAT a woman!'_ Kyle/Sakura thought as he took in the woman's appearance. '_It's true! Her shirt is see-through!_'

"None of you are in a position to celebrate!" the woman shouted at the collected Genin. "Listen up! I am the second examination officer, Anko Mitarashi! Now let's head out to the next exam!"

Stunned silence was the reply she had gotten. Ibiki chuckled a little and pulled her banner to the side for a moment so he could get a word in to the excited Special Jounin.

"Can't you sense the mood in here?" he asked. Anko just seemed to turn slightly red and adopted an annoyed look in her eyes. She took a moment and counted how many examinees were still left in the room.

"Seventy-eight?" she blinked in surprise and disappointment. She instantly rounded on her fellow examination officer. "Ibiki! You let 26 teams pass?"

"What can I say?" Ibiki shrugged with a grin. "There seems to be some exceptional teams this year."

"Yeah, whatever," Anko snorted. "I'll cut down that number by half. Guaranteed!"

A shiver went through the room at Anko's announcement. Kyle/Sakura was too busy reeling in his discovery of Anko's wardrobe and how her boobs jiggled slightly with her movements. She liked to think she wasn't a pervert, but Anko's wardrobe just screamed for attention. Attention she was more than happy to give. Sadly, Anko's shirt wasn't as see-through as a lot of fan boys would like, but it sure left little to the imagination.

The purple-haired Special Jounin smirked as she gazed out at the now shivering Genin, "Yeah, I get charged up just thinking about it. Now, I'll explain things as soon as we get to the next location. So follow me!!"

The Genin didn't need to be told twice as they relocated out of the classroom and followed the Special Jounin through the building. Kyle/Sakura felt glares coming from the real Sakura being aimed at her. She could probably understand why. She was copying the real Sakura and looking like a pervert of some kind by staying in a female body for so long.

'_That's just too bad,_' Kyle/Sakura thought to herself. '_There's going to be some running soon and I won't be able to keep up in my normal body and my Undead forms would just bring unneeded attention. Best to be in a ninja's body than my Rider forms._'

Anko lead the group of Genin to a large training ground with trees that looked large enough to match redwoods that Kyle/Sakura could recall from pictures that she had seen in the past.

"This is the arena for the second exam," Anko smirked dangerously as she saw the nervous looks on the Genins' faces. "Training ground 44, otherwise known as the Forest of Death!"

Many of the Genin shivered nervously at the nickname. Naruto was trying to keep his nervousness in as he scanned the higher parts of the trees. Sakura was trembling nervously as she looked into the forests beyond the fences that surrounded the training area.

"You're all about to find out first hand just how it got that name," Anko continued with her usual smirk.

"Like that's gonna scare us!" Naruto shouted while pointing at the older woman. "You're trying to psych us out, and I'm not gonna fall for it!"

Kyle/Sakura sighed and palmed her face. That was probably the last thing he should have said to Anko. She was the type of woman that you did not want to mess with or even remotely annoy. She had a liking for blood and wasn't afraid of showing it.

Sure enough, the snake woman was already behind Naruto and licking blood off his check that she had spilled when she but him with a kunai. Kyle/Sakura was impressed. She had done it in less than a second. It was probably why she was a Special Jounin and not just a regular Jounin.

Anko's eyes suddenly snapped open as she held another kunai and turned behind her. Right behind her was a Kusa-nin who had a disturbingly long tongue that was holding the kunai she had dropped.

"Your kunai knife," the Kusa-nin spoke. "I believe you dropped it."

"Gee, thanks," Anko nodded as she took it back. "Just don't stand behind me radiating bloodlust, unless you want to die in a hurry."

"I'll try to keep it under control," the Kusa-nin chuckled. "But the sight of warm blood makes me crazy. Besides, I was already revved up from losing a strand of my hair."

Kyle/Sakura frowned at the performance. She wasn't fooled for a moment. She knew that this wasn't a Kusa-nin. It was Orochimaru who was disguised as a Kusa-nin. He had killed the real Kusa-nin and her team and took their faces for himself. Though why Orochimaru wanted to be the female one was a good question.

Anko went on to explain the finer points of the test, along with the need for getting the scrolls and signing consent forms to keep her out of trouble. Kyle/Sakura was tempted to not sign just for fun, but that might bar her from entering the exam along with her team. One of the examiners announced that they were going to start distributing scrolls. Team 7 waited patiently as they waited their turn to get a scroll for themselves.

They eventually got a Heaven scroll and were told to wait at gate 12. The four-man team waited patiently for the next exam to wait for the signal to begin. After waiting half an hour, Anko finally gave the signal and the gates were swing open. All the Genin teams dashed inside.

The second exam had begun.

Team 7 dashed into the deeper parts of the forest where they could get some breathing space. All four of them took a moment to check their surroundings before Sakura instantly turned on Sakura/Kyle.

"You perv!" she growled. "Why the heck are you still in my body?!"

"Hey, I needed it to cheat at the first exam," Kyle/Sakura answered. "Thief Chameleon allows me more than just the image of the person I'm mimicking."

"So you're Kyle-nii!" Naruto grinned as he pointed at Kyle/Sakura. "I was having trouble telling you apart!"

Sasuke shook his head and turned to Kyle/Sakura, "What do you mean by that?"

"What I mean is simple," Kyle/Sakura shrugged. "When I mimic someone with Thief Chameleon, I not only get their image, but I get everything about them. I know all of Sakura's techniques and I know everything she knows."

"EH?!" Sakura gaped. If he knew everything she did, then did he know about all the embarrassing things that had happened to her life?

"Oh!" Naruto gaped. "Then that means you are just as smart as Sakura-chan now!"

"Right!" Kyle/Sakura nodded with a smile. "If I copied Sasuke, then I would have a pair of Sharingan eyes of my own and every jutsu he knows. That's just for a start. It's like a full-body Sharingan. I copy everything about a person."

Sasuke pondered that ability. It would definitely come in handy on the field of battle. What better to fight an opponent with than their own powers? It would serve to catch a person off guard of they had to fight themselves.

"Hold on," Naruto grunted as he turned to one of the trees. "I gotta take a leak."

"Not in front of me!" Sakura shrieked. She bonked Naruto on the back of the head. "I'm a lady!"

Naruto started grumbling before he started to leave. Kyle/Sakura then spoke up, "Stay here, Naruto. If we get separated then an enemy might take your place and stab us in the back."

"Nah, it'll be okay, Kyle-nii," Naruto smirked. "I won't go far."

Kyle/Sakura sighed as Naruto went behind a tree to do his business. She knew from the manga that a lone Ame-nin would tie him up and take his place. It was going to be a hassle if things went like they were going to, but she was prepared to fight if push came to shove.

Naruto appeared a minute later while fixing his pants. Kyle/Sakura prepared to use her Rouze Cards in case it was an Ame-nin who replaced Naruto. She wouldn't be caught off guard like the real Sakura would be if it was.

"Now that feels better," Naruto grinned.

"I told you you're in the presence of a lady!" Sakura snapped. "Don't be vulgar!"

Sasuke rendered any more screeching unneeded since he dashed forward and slugged Naruto hard, sending him crashing into a tree. Sakura was struck speechless by the attack while Kyle/Sakura drew the Category Ace of Hearts and summoned her Joker Belt.

"Hey, Sasuke-kun!" Sakura cried. "I appreciate the chivalry, but that's a little over-!"

"What have you done to Naruto?" the Uchiha demanded of the orange-clad boy in front of him.

Kyle/Sakura took a glance at the Naruto in front of him and saw that the shuriken holster was strapped to his left thigh. After living with Naruto for so long, Kyle/Sakura could tell that Naruto was right handed. The cut was also missing from his cheek. Obviously the ninja had missed it. Sasuke declared those very same reasons. The false Naruto growled before he vanished into a cloud of smoke. From it, an Ame-nin with a breathing mask wearing a jumpsuit dashed forward.

"Since you've forced me to come clean, why don't you three tell me which of you has the scroll?" he demanded as he charged at them.

"No way! Henshin!" Kyle/Sakura shouted before she slashed the Ace of Hearts through her belt.

"**Change!**" the belt cried out before the wearer was absorbed into a black aura before re-emerging as the armored Undead, Chalice.

"_Good to be male again!_" Chalice laughed as he charged at the charging Ame-nin. Sasuke wasn't one to be left behind or play second fiddle, so he charged right alongside the Rider.

Sasuke flipped through a series of hand seals before he fstopped on the 'Tora' seal, "_Katon: Hosenka no Jutsu!_" (Fire Release: Pheonix Flower Technique)

With the seals made, Sasuke leaped into the air and began shooting several fireballs out of his mouth, aimed at the Ame-nin. The foreign ninja proved to be slippery as he dodged each blast.

After the third blast, the Ame-nin leaped up at Sasuke with his kunai drawn. Both ninjas clashed in midair before Sasuke came landing on one of the tree branches. The Ame-nin came down as well, but he was going to be in for a surprise.

"**Vine! Chop!**" a mechanical voice cried from behind.

The Ame-nin turned in surprise to see Chalice raising his Chalice Arrow in preparation for an attack.

Chalice had taken the time of Sasuke's attack to position himself on a higher branch so he would have an easier time attacking the Ame-nin. He had slashed the Vine Plant and Chop Head Rouze Cards through his Rouzer for one of his attacks.

"Damn!" the Ame-nin hissed as he brought his kunai up for another attack.

"_Not today!_" Chalice cried as he slashed at the Ame-nin from afar. To the nin's surprise, a long green vine burst from the top of the weapon and wrapped tightly around the Ame-nin, keeping his kunai from doing any damage. With the Ame-nin secured, Chalice dashed forward with his free hand positioned for a chop, empowered by the Chop Head card.

"_Take this!_" he roared as he planted a hard chop on the Ame-nin's gut. The ninja gagged from the force of the blow and blood could be seen trickling out of his mask. Chalice then released the vine and let the Ame-nin tumble to the ground in freefall.

The foreign ninja managed to recover, but he stumbled and gripped his torso in pain, '_Damn! I thought coming alone might help. Instead it has ruined my chances and gotten my ribs broken! I need to run!_'

Sasuke was coming up quickly while Chalice was leaping down from his tree branch. With an avenue of escape still open, the Ame-nin leaped deeper into the forest and away from the collected ninjas.

"_Is everyone okay?_" Chalice asked as he, Sakura, and Sasuke managed to meet back together again. He personally wondered why he hadn't seen through the disguise in Sakura's body, but it was probably because he was using a human body which had human perceptions. It may not work again now that he was in his Chalice form.

"I think so," Sakura panted from running to catch up with her teammates. "But if that guy was Naruto, then where's the real Naruto?"

"HEY!" someone shouted. "GET ME OUTTA HERE!"

"_Something tells me he's over there,_" Chalice pointed in the direction of the shouting.

The three teammates move to the source of the noise and found their blonde teammates tied up and laying on the ground. He was struggling with his bonds and making a general fuss. He turned and saw his fellow ninjas coming through the underbrush.

"I heard fighting!" he cried. "Is everyone okay?"

"_We're fine,_" Chalice replied as he moved to cut the ropes with his weapon. "_I think I may have busted the guy's ribs. Hopefully we won't see him again._"

"I'll kick his ass if we do!" Naruto snorted. "The jerk jumped me from behind!"

"That's what you get for not paying attention!" Sakura snapped.

"_He wouldn't have had to if __someone__ didn't screech him out of sight where his teammates couldn't watch his back!_" Chalice retorted angrily. He cut Naruto's bonds and turned to face Sakura. "_We're in the middle of a battle. I don't give a flying fig if you're a girl, you are also a kunoichi and I expect that you're capable of handling vulgar things. We can't afford to be proper when it is going to make opportunities for enemies like it did for that Ame-nin. We already have bull's eyes on our backs because of being rookies. I don't want to make them bigger!_"

Sakura gulped as Chalice glared at her. She hadn't noticed it before, but he could be really intimidating when he was angry and wearing his armor. She just nodded and kept her mouth shut. She glanced to see what Sasuke thought and found him nodding darkly in agreement with what Chalice was saying. It just served to make her feel even more down since she had gone against something even Sasuke agreed to.

"Still," the last Uchiha spoke up. "We're going to have to do something in case we get separated and someone tries to impersonate us again."

"_You have an idea I take it?_" Chalice asked.

"Yeah," Sasuke nodded. "Its poem I learned at the academy called Ninki."

"_So how's it go?_" Chalice pressed. "_Remember I didn't attend the academy like the rest of you._"

"Right," Sasuke nodded. "Okay, when I ask for the poem, you say, "We thrive in chaos of the enemy tide. Quiet shinobi don't need dens to hide. Our only concern is to watch and wait until the enemy lowers the gate."

"And you expect me to remember that…how?!" Naruto demanded with a grumpy frown.

"You're such a dunce," Sakura sighed. "I have it down already!"

"I still say we need a better password," Naruto frowned. "Like Swordfish!"

"_Sorry, Naruto,_" Chalice shrugged. "_But we need something the enemy won't be able to get with a lucky guess._"

"Hmm, I guess that makes sense," the hyperactive blonde shrugged.

"Glad to see we're all in agreement," Sasuke nodded. "I'll take the scroll from here on out."

Sasuke took the scroll from Sakura and slipped it into his pouch. The four-nin team began to prepare to move out when the wind began to pick up.

'_Here he comes,_' Chalice thought grimly to himself.

The wind suddenly went to hurricane force as it blew against the three ninjas and lone Rider. All four of them scattered to avoid the worst of it all. Chalice thought he saw Naruto get blown into the distance as he dug his Chalice Arrow into a tree and held on. The wind continued blowing for a minute or two before it died down. The scenery was quiet for a moment before rustling noises signaled Sasuke was coming out of his hiding spot. Sakura was next as she searched for her crush.

While she was reciting the poem, Chalice pulled his weapon out of the hard wood and walked towards his team.

"_You both okay?_" he asked as he stepped into view.

Sasuke and Sakura both turned to face him with their weapons drawn. Sasuke took a step forward while making sure that he kept the Rider in his sights.

"What's the Ninki?" Sasuke asked plainly.

"_We thrive in the chaos of the enemy tide. Quiet shinobi don't need dens to hide. Our only concern is to watch and wait until the enemy lowers the gate,_" Chalice recited from memory.

Sakura sighed in relief, but Sasuke didn't look entirely convinced of honesty. He kept his weapon raised as he decided to ask another question, "Show us the form of the Undead you made us fight in Nami."

Chalice nodded as he reached to his belt for his cards. Orochimaru was probably just a leap away and Sasuke had picked up on his presence. They had to be sure who he was pretending to be since he had overheard the poem. At least, that was what Chalice had remembered from the manga.

"**Screw!**" the belt cried as Chalice slashed his card through. His body erupted in black energy again before coming back out in the gray armored form of the Mole Undead.

"Good," Sasuke nodded in relief. Kyle/Mole Undead likewise nodded before he slashed the Ace of Hearts through again, becoming Chalice once more.

"Just what was that?" asked Sakura as she looked around. "Who used that technique and what happened to Naruto?"

"Yo," a familiar voice called through some underbrush. The orange-clad form of Naruto came through with a relieved grin on his face. "Is everyone okay?"

"Not so fast, Naruto," Sasuke frowned. "What's the password?"

"Huh? Oh, Ninki," Naruto nodded. He then recited the poem perfectly as Sasuke had said it when he was explaining it.

Warning bells went off in Chalice's head. As much as Naruto was a good kid, there was no way he was capable of remembering that long poem after just hearing it at this point in his life. Apparently his Undead sight could be fooled by a _henge_. Sasuke thought the same thing as he hurled a kunai at 'Naruto'.

"Sasuke!" Sakura cried. "He got the password right!"

"Then how did he suddenly get good enough to deflect my attack?" Sasuke asked coldly.

The false Naruto knew his cover was blown and he smirked. He exploded in a poof of white smoke. It blew away quickly to reveal the long-haired Kusa-nin who had returned the kunai to Anko at the beginning of the exam.

"Well done," she chuckled. "What gave me away?"

"I knew you were underground, listening to what we were saying," Sasuke smirked. "That's why I chose that password. The real Naruto would never be able to memorize it."

"I see," the Kusa-nin smiled. "Watch and wait eh? This is going to be more fun than I thought!"

'_Here we go,_' Chalice thought to himself darkly.

To Be Continued…

A/N: Whew! I'll leave it at that. So, Team 7 is going to go up against Orochimaru now. Not only is he an incredible ninja, but he's also the one who brought Kyle and the Rouze Cards to the Naruto universe in the first place. Who else wants to see a Rider go against one of the Sannin?


	6. Chapter 6

I do not own Naruto or Kamen Rider Blade

I do not own Naruto or Kamen Rider Blade. I am only writing about them for fun. I am not gaining anything from doing this so don't get the idea that you can sue me for some quick cash. That being said, I hope you all enjoy the fic.

The Forgotten Rider

By Ten-Faced Paladin

Chapter 6: The Animal Within

In the middle of the Forest of Death, the three remaining members of Team 7 were being pitted against a lone Kusa-nin. Moments ago, the ninja had used a wind technique to separate them before she replaced Naruto. At the moment, Sakura, Sasuke, and Chalice were standing at opposite ends of a clearing from the Kusa-nin.

Chalice wasn't fooled by the feminine face. He knew for certain that he was looking at Orochimaru, one of the three Sannin trained by the Hokage, and currently an S-class missing-nin. The man was downright obsessed with learning every jutsu in the world and developed a number of depraved techniques to extend his life.

"Ku ku ku ku," the Kusa-nin chuckled. "It seems that you have exceeded my expectations. This will be so much fun."

The Kusa-nin licked her lips with her freakishly long tongue before reaching into her belt and pulling out an Earth scroll. Both Sakura and Sasuke flinched at seeing it. Chalice would have narrowed is eyes, but his visor kept that hidden from sight.

"Ahh," the Kusa-nin smiled. She had seen thee reactions from both the younger nins. "So you like my Earth scroll eh? Well, it would make a lovely addition to your own Heaven scroll I suppose."

The Kusa-nin's smile turned to an even deeper sneer. Slowly, almost tortuously, she raised the scroll to her mouth before opening wide. Her mouth seemed to open as if her jaw was unhinged. With a firm push, she rammed the scroll into her mouth and actually swallowed it with a loud and wet gulp.

"Gross," Sakura hissed under her breath.

"Hmm, I think we can safely agree when this is over one of us will have both scrolls," the Kusa-nin smirked before she turned her gaze at the three Genin. "And one of us will die!"

Sakura and Sasuke were suddenly assaulted with images of being torn up by a storm of kunai. Bloody gashes ripped through their bodies as the precious red liquid spilled on the ground. Their screams of pain ripped through the air and echoed across the forest. They were both silenced instantly by the horrific images.

Chalice was a different story. As the bloodlust became thick enough to cut through with a knife, he began to tremble. He was not assaulted by images of his own bloody death, but instead his Undead instincts began to shift into overdrive, seeing the Kusa-nin as a challenge as much as a threat.

'_FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT!_' the instincts of the Mantis Undead screamed.

"_RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!_" Chalice roared, obeying his instincts and raising his Chalice Bow at the Kusa-nin. Said nin's eyes widened before Chalice fired a single bolt at her. She dodged to the side quickly, but a chunk of her hair was severed as it moved past her and blew a chunk out of the tree behind her.

Chalice roared loudly as he charged at the Kusa-nin. He slashed and swiped with the Chalice Bow wildly, recognizing the shinobi in front of him as his enemy. Nothing else mattered. This enemy's blood would soon feed his weapon and litter the ground once he was done. Kyle Jones wasn't in control. Only Chalice the Legendary Undead was here.

The Kusa-nin on the other hand had recovered from being caught off-guard and was dodging each strike. Her body was almost as slippery as a snake's as she dodged each strike. It was near though. Chalice was proving quick to recover from misses and send another strike which was just as fast as the other.

'_It seems I underestimated this one,_' she thought to herself, growing excited. '_This is even more amusing than I thought!_'

"_FIGHT ME!_" Chalice roared in a gravelly voice.

The sounds of Chalice's voice snapped Sakura and Sasuke out of their sickened illusions. Sakura dropped to her knees and trembled uncontrollably. Sasuke struggled to remain on his feet, but quickly failed before vomiting loudly.

'_What is this?_' he groaned inwardly. '_Her bloodlust was incredible! Her eyes! I could see my own death! Why wasn't Kyle affected?_'

The Kusa-nin slipped backwards and leaped up to a tree branch. Chalice roared and took his own running leap at his target.

"Predictable," the Kusa-nin smirked. Her cheeks suddenly bulged before she opened her mouth again. Instead of a tongue, a purple snake slithered out of her mouth, hissing loudly. The snake then opened its own mouth, revealing a large katana that was being pushed out of its gizzard.

The Kusa-nin grabbed the handle of the slightly slimy blade and watched Chalice come at her. Once he was close enough, she slashed widely, aiming to cleave her opponent in two.

CLANG!

Instead of cutting through flesh and bone, the blade met against the Chalice Bow. The two metals reverberated against each other with a ringing noise that echoed through the area.

The Kusa-nin's eyes widened in shock at what had just happened, '_Impossible! The Kusanagi is capable of cutting through anything! It was made from Manda's scales! If it can't cut this weapon…'_

The thought was cut off as Chalice tried to make a grab for the Kusa-nin's face. She leaned back and allowed the friction between the weapons to cease, but Chalice quickly used her for footing and leaped back, pushing the Kusa-nin back at the same time. Both fighters landed on the ground with some distance away from each other.

Kyle, meanwhile, was trying to regain control of his body. He was drowning in the battle-lust of Chalice and if he didn't take control soon than his entire consciousness would be overridden by the manic battle fury of the Ace of Hearts Undead. '_Come on! Come on!' _he urged._ 'Don't let it control you!_'

Chalice aimed and fired several energy bolts from his weapon, which flew past the Kusa-nin. The ninja in question dashed to the side and charged again. Chalice turned on his feet and blocked the oncoming attack

"My my," the Kusa-nin smirked. "Such an interesting weapon you have. Your armor too. Where did you get them?"

"_Raah!_" Chalice bellowed before he knocked the Kusa-nin back. "_It won't matter! You'll soon be dead!_"

"Oh really?' the Kusa-nin asked. "Then you are welcome to try."

Kyle had managed to get some of his mind back from Chalice, but he was still in the thick of his mental battle so long as this ninja kept pumping out her bloodlust. He would have to get rid of her soon or else he would lose himself again.

Acting fast, he gripped his belt buckle and pulled it off before slipping it into his weapon.

"Oh, what is this I wonder," the Kusa-nin smirked.

Chalice struggled to keep his mind in check as he reached for his cards. He had t at least get the Kusa-nin to lay off the bloodlust. He gripped three cards in the case and pulled them out. They were the Category 4, 5, and 6 of hearts. Float Dragonfly, Drill Shell, and Tornado Hawk. The Kusa-nin raised an eyebrow when she laid her eyes on the cards in Chalice's hands.

"**Float! Drill! Tornado!**" the Rouzer cried as the cards were swiped through. "**Spinning Dance!**"

The wind began to pick up around Chalice as he began to rise into the air. His body was spinning at a high speed and the wind continued to pick up speed. The Kusa-nin was surprised for the third time as she watched the event unfold. Chalice rose to the apex of his flight before shifting angles and roaring back down at the Kusa-nin with the force of a bullet. The enemy ninja raised her sword and let Chalice come before taking the blow. The sound of the impact ripped through the air before the Kusa-nin was sent flying through the air. She recovered quickly before catching an overhanging branch and setting herself on top.

The sudden pressure in the air seemed to lift when the impact hit. Sasuke finally found himself capable of his normal movements while Sakura managed to come out of her fear induced daze.

Chalice collapsed onto his hands and knees, breathing and panting hard. He replaced the Chalice Rouzer back onto the belt before reaching for his card holster. He drew out his Category 2 of hearts before swiping it, slowly, through the Rouzer.

"**Spirit!**" Immediately, the static field swept over his body, restoring him to his human form. Sweat was beading on his face as he tried to regain his breathing. He then pushed himself back to his feet, using a nearby tree for support. That experience had been horrifying. He knew himself of the dangers of fusing with the Undead but had never experienced them like that before. The Rider turned around to see his teammates, recovering, before approaching them. His stance was a bit wobbly as he stepped over to them.

"You guys okay?" Kyle asked.

"Yeah," Sasuke nodded. Sakura could only give a weak nod of her own. It seemed she was still trying to find her voice in the midst of the chaos.

"Oh now I am very intrigued," the Kusa-nin smirked. "I suppose when I kill you all I will have to take those odd cards for myself."

"Doubt it," Kyle growled. He slowly began reaching behind his back for one of the three buckles that he kept hidden from view. Fighting as an Undead was dangerous enough, so he would have to fight like a true Rider.

"Just try and stop me, boy," the Kusa-nin smirked. She bent her knees slightly before she lunged forward at the group of three. Her movements were quickly as she slithered around several trees almost two quickly for words.

"Damn!" Kyle hissed as he grabbed the Leangle buckle and the Category Ace of Clubs.

As the Kusa-nin came closer, a sudden storm of shuriken and kunai flew down from above and stuck into the ground. The Kusa-nin stopped immediately in her tracks and looked in the direction the weapons came from. Up above, where the source of the weapons was, stood a familiar blonde ninja in an orange jumpsuit.

"Heh," Naruto smirked. "Looks like you need some help."

The Kusa-nin looked up and smirked at the sight of Naruto, "Hmmm. Looks like you managed to get away from my little friend. I condone the achievement."

"So it was you!" Naruto frowned. "You're the one who sent that thing to eat me!"

The Kusa-nin only smirked at Naruto's agitation. The ramblings of a blonde Genin apparently didn't seem to matter that much to him. Sasuke could see the bloodlust in the Kusa-nin's eyes, even if she wasn't projecting it anymore.

"We have to give up our scroll," the last Uchiha spoke. "There's no way we're going to get out of this alive if we don't."

"WHAT?!" Naruto cried. "Give up the scroll to this creep and fail?! No way!"

"Stop being stupid, Naruto!" Sasuke shouted. "We'll die if we keep this up!"

"Oh yeah?" Kyle frowned. "Who's to say she won't kill us even if we do give it up?

Sasuke turned to look at Kyle with a look of surprise. Apparently he had been more than just rattled. If he was thinking about surviving, then he hadn't been considering the intent of the Kusa-nin.

"Your friend is right," the Kusa-nin laughed. "It is unnatural for the predator to just give up on its prey when it's so close to capturing it. This test doesn't mean anything to me. Your scrolls mean nothing!"

Kyle frowned and held up the Leangle Buckle. It seemed that their opponent was not going to leave until she marked Sasuke with that Cursed Seal. Kyle knew exactly what that mark would do if it managed to get on Sasuke. The problem was, he wasn't sure if he could stop her.

"If we don't fight then we die," Kyle frowned. He slipped the Ace of Clubs inside the buckle before placing it at his waist, letting the belt wrap around him. "It's as simple as that. Henshin!"

"**Open Up!**" the buckle called as Kyle let it open. The purple field with a gold spider on the front flew out and hovered backwards, engulfing Kyle and changed him into Kamen Rider Leangle.

"How curious," the Kusa-nin chuckled as she took a ready stance for the next bout of fighting. Leangle summoned his battle staff and got ready to do battle as a Rider. Leangle was the strongest of the Riders in Ace Form, at least as the show claimed. Now was as good a time as any to see if the claims held true.

He dashed forward and swung his Leangle Rouzer in an arch. The Kusa-nin parried the strike and rolled around Leangle before slashing at the green and yellow Rider. Sparks flew through the air as he stumbled back. The armor showed no visible signs of damage, but the pain from the impact was there.

Sasuke was just as quick to react as he got fed up with being a spectator and decided to get involved with the fight. The last Uchiha picked up the slack from Leangle stumbling back and attempted to use his own fighting style to bring the enemy ninja down.

The Kusa-nin smirked and went on the defensive as Sasuke continued to attack her without mercy. Leangle regained his balance and witnessed the unfolding fight. He knew exactly what Orochimaru was capable of and the pace of the fight was no where near that point.

"Gotta end this!" Leangle growled as he reached to his case. He grabbed three Rouze Cards which he thought would be helpful in this fight. The ones he drew were Blizzard Polar, Category 4 of Clubs; Rush Rhinoceros, and Category 9 of Clubs; Poison Scorpion.

"**Rush! Blizzard! Poison!**" the Rouzer announced as Leangle slashed the cards through the end. "**Blizzard Venom!**"

Ice with a purple undertone began pooling at the end of the staff. The ice was so cold that mist was collecting around it. Tightening his grip, Leangle charged with the intent of running the Kusa-nin right through. Even if he didn't, if he at least cut her, then the poison from the Scorpion Undead would either weaken her or take her down.

The Kusa-nin was enjoying her little spar with Sasuke. He was moving so fast she didn't even have the time to use a proper stance with her sword. Having to fight one-handed was proving to be very entertaining. While fighting, she noticed something in the corner of her eye. Daring a glance, she saw Leangle charging at her with his spear aimed right at her torso.

"Not today," she smirked. Pushing Sasuke away, she leaped straight up just as Leangle would have stabbed her with his staff. The blades on the staff missed and dug into one of the numerous trees. Small pulses flowed into the tree before Leangle managed to pull his weapon of choice out of the hard wood. As he turned to face the Kusa-nin again, the tree began to sag while the leaves turned a deep brown in close to a blink of an eye. The Kusa-nin eyed the dying tree warily before re-sheathing her sword in the snake's mouth which was hidden in her gullet.

"Glad I avoided that," she smirked. "Otherwise I would have gotten really sick. Perhaps a hands-off approach is needed after all."

The Kusa-nin stood straight at the opposite end of the clearing and pulled back her sleeve. Tattooed on her arm was a strange ring-like marking with a snake in it. She then bit her thumb and drew blood before smearing it across the marking. She then started a flurry of hand seals.

"_Kuchiyose no Jutsu _(Summoning Technique)_!_" she cried before slamming her palm on the ground.

There was a large blast of smoke before it cleared. In the spot where the Kusa-nin stood, a large brown snake that looked big enough to crush a house in its grip was in her place. Standing on the head was the Kusa-nin herself with another irritating smirk on her face.

"OH CRAP! BIG SNAKE! BIG SNAKE!" Leangle shouted out. The Snake Summons lunged at the Rider who did a leap backwards, landing with his comrades.

"Aw, are you frightened of a little snake? Kukukukuku…" the Kusa-Nin mocked.

Leangle growled. "Well, if you wanna play with Summons then let me play too!" He drew three cards out and tossed two of them into the air. He followed up by slashing through the card he had in hand, the Remote Tapir.

"**Remote!**"

Leangle fired a beam from his weapon, striking the cards in the air. The cards then expanded and reshaped into two of the Royal Category Undeads, the Queen of Clubs: the Tiger Undead and the Jack of Clubs: the Elephant Undead.

The Elephant Undead look as imposing as ever with his bulky frame and large hammer gripped in its hand. The Tiger Undead was radically different. One was that it was female and was covered with tiger fur. Bronze armor was covering her shoulders while a claw-like weapon was attached to her wrist. Her white face was covered with a black feral mask that had a smaller bronze mask over it and a Mohawk was sticking up from her head. She didn't have much in terms of torso armor except for some bronze armor covering her chest and a black skull marking.

"All right Kyle-nii!" Naruto cheered as he landed on the ground. "Show that freak what the Undead can do!"

"Undead?" the Kusa-nin blinked. "How odd. Heh, I'll just have my pet swallow them up! I bet they're tasty!"

"_Don't mock my power!_" the Tiger Undead growled.

"_Hmph!_" the Elephant Undead snorted. "_I am not impressed._"

The giant snake unleashed an echoing hiss and lunged at the pair of Undead that were in front of it. Neither Undead seemed to find the giant snake remotely intimidating. After having to battle numerous other Undead and even see the likes of the Joker, a big progeny of the Queen of Diamonds wasn't about to frighten them.

The Elephant Undead stepped forward and hefted his steel hammer off of his shoulder and gripped it in both hands. The giant snake raced closer with its mouth opened wide, ready to swallow both of the Undead in a single gulp. The Elephant Undead reared back his hammer and unleashed a mighty swing. The metal head of the hammer impacted against the side of the snake's head. There was a loud cracking noise before the force of the impact knocked the snake to the side and it rolled in the grass. It unleashed hissing cries of pain, which judging by the crooked jaw, were rather valid.

The Kusa-nin had jumped ship when the snake was hit and began to move, taking refuge on an overhanging tree branch. She was stunned to find that this creature was strong enough to possibly match Tsunade herself! She was beginning to curse her source of intelligence for being so misinformed about this fourth member of Team 7. She had no idea what his abilities were since he had appeared practically out of nowhere with abilities no one knew about. In her life, being uninformed was a quick way of becoming dead.

The angered Kusa-nin looked to the strange green and black creature which had defeated her summons and found that its companion was missing. A roaring noise quickly revealed its position as it seemed to almost fall from the sky in a flurry of slashes which threatened to turn the Kusa-nin into tomato paste.

Leangle turned to see his teammates were recovering. Naruto had been itching for an opening to leap in while Sasuke was catching his breath from the fight he dealt with. Sakura was wide-eyed from all the action that was going on.

"Well?" the green Rider demanded. "Are you guys just going to sit there or are we going to get a scroll and make sure this freak never bothers us again?"

"Heck yeah!" Naruto shouted as he dashed towards the fight.

Sasuke just smirked and followed Naruto towards the battle. Leangle was quick to add his own speed to get himself to where the Tiger Undead was dealing with the Kusa-nin. Naruto acted first by leaping up before going into a flurry of hand seals.

"_Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!_" he called before numerous clones poofed into existence next to him before he continued going at the Kusa-nin.

The enemy in question was parrying strikes from the Tiger Undead, but her arms were cut up from the near misses and the sharpness of the claws. She was quickly getting annoyed before she saw the oncoming group of Narutos.

"Pest," she hissed. Acting fast, she used a foot to push the Tiger Undead away before racing down the tree toward the orange clad boys.

The group of blondes didn't seem intimidated as they attacked as one entire unit. There was a rain of punches and kicks which were aimed at several points which would really hurt on impact. Their plan didn't go well as the Kusa-nin slithered through all of them while punching each one thus dispelling them, until she hit the real one and slammed him against a tree.

"Gah!" Naruto groaned as he hit the wood. Blood dripped from his mouth, but he started growling. His whisker marks became more pronounced and his eyes turned red and slitted. "You think that's going to put me down? Think again!"

The feeling of a sickening chakra ran through the area and Leangle felt the unfocused anger piling in his gut again. The Tiger Undead was staring right at the blonde while the Elephant Undead likewise had an unblinking eye on him.

"_What is this power I feel?_" pondered the Elephant Undead.

"_It's coming from the boy,_" observed the Tiger Undead. "_Is he an Undead? No human could have such an aura._"

"Hmm," the Kusa-nin smirked. "So you are the Kyuubi-brat."

"Raaaaahhh!" Naruto roared as he lunged at the Kusa-nin. He swiped at her with his now elongated nails. The Kusa-nin quickly found himself pressed to dodge like she had against the Tiger Undead.

'_So this is how far the Kyuubi-brat has progressed,_' the Kusa-nin thought to herself. '_They aren't fighting each other, but are actually on the verge of symbiosis! Simply leaving him alone is foolhardy considering how he can draw on the Kyuubi's chakra during high emotion.'_

Acting quickly, the Kusa-nin grabbed the back of Naruto's jumpsuit and hefted him into the air. The blonde was having trouble breathing since the collar was digging into his neck. The bottom of his shirt had been lifted and was revealing the seal which was holding the Kyuubi away.

"Let's see if this keeps you down," the Kusa-nin smirked as she brought her free hand back. Chakra collected into her fingers before she slammed her hand into the seal.

"AAGH!" the blonde cried in pain as the seal began to take hold over his own original seal.

"NARUTO!" Leangle cried as he saw what was happening to his friend. The images in the manga played over in front of his eyes. "NOOO!"

The Kusa-nin smirked as Naruto stopped struggling and just dropped the blonde. He was falling from a fair distance and hitting the ground from so high up had the potential of killing him if he landed wrong.

Leangle knew Sasuke wasn't so cold as to let that happen, but he wasn't about to take the risk. Gripping his staff, he hurled it through the air. The tip caught on Naruto's jacket before embedding itself in the tree he had been falling from. Sasuke watched the Rider's actions and put away the kunai he had been about to throw. Instead, he retrained his sight on the Kusa-nin with his Sharingan activating.

"Ah, there's the Sharingan I wanted to see," the Kusa-nin smirked.

Sasuke lunged at the Kusa-nin with a kunai drawn, ready to take the enemy down once and for all. The ninja continued smirking as she started going at Sasuke hand to hand. This time, Sasuke was having an easier time because his Sharingan was following her moves perfectly.

"Excellent," the Kusa-nin smirked. "Your Sharingan is following me perfectly!"

Leaping back, the Kusa-nin began slipping around the trees, keeping out of sight so Sasuke could not know where she was. Realizing he was at a disadvantage, the last Uchiha leaped to another tree, trying to keep moving and be less of a target at the same time.

"You can run but you can't hide, Sasuke," the Kusa-nin smirked as she followed.

She continued to follow Sasuke even as he circled around a tree. She slid around, hot on his tail. As she could see ahead of her again, several kunai and shuriken were sent flying at her face. The Kusa-nin smirked and her arms blurred before catching the weapons in her hands and one with her tongue.

"Is this all you can do, Sasuke?" she sighed. Her voice was a bit slurred with her tongue hanging out, but she was still understandable. "How disappointing."

She glanced at the weapons she caught and noticed something. There was an almost invisible string tied to each weapon that she was holding. Following the lines, as hard as it was for normal people but easy for her, she saw Sasuke standing on a branch ahead with the lines clenched in his teeth. The Kusa-nin's eyes widened in shock.

"_Katon: Ryuuka no Jutsu _(Fire Release: Dragon Breath Technique)_!_" Sasuke called as he completed the hand seals. Breathing out, Sasuke launched streams of fire that traveled down the wires and impacted against the Kusa-nin, bringing out a cry of pain from her.

The last Uchiha sighed as he relaxed and spit the wires out. He just continued to stand on the branch and watch his enemy burn. Thumping noises caught his attention and he turned to see the two Summons that Leangle had brought out leaping towards them.

"_Back off boy! He's mine!_" the Tiger Undead hissed as she and the Elephant Undead continued to charge.

Sasuke blinked in confusion before a deep chuckling noise began echoing from the fire he had created. It was too deep to be a female and it definitely wasn't the voice of the Kusa-nin he had been fighting a moment ago.

"Ku ku ku ku ku," the voice chuckled. "You exceed my expectations Sasuke-kun. You are exactly what I want."

"What?!" Sasuke gasped as he turned to the blaze. The flames had died out and the Kusa-nin was standing there. Her face was practically melting and her clothes were singed. However, her left eye seemed to have turned yellow with pale skin underneath revealing the face before had been a fake. This ninja raised her hand to her hitae-ate and the symbol for _Kusagakure_ changed to one for _Otogakure_.

"Who…what are you?" Sasuke gasped as he saw the melting features of the ninja's face, and the some of the one underneath.

"My name is Orochimaru," the ninja smirked through his melting lips. "As for what I want…you'll just have to figure that out later."

From where he was plucking Naruto off the tree, Leangle had heard the voice of the Snake Sannin. His blood ran cold when he realized what was about to happen unless he or the two Undead he had unsealed managed to do something about it.

Orochimaru estimated the distance between himself and the two curious Summons that were attempting to come and fight him. Seeing they were still far enough away, he began flipping through hand seals.

"Before I go, I think I'll give you a little gift," Orochimaru smirked before he completed the sequence. Almost like a bullet, his head launched from his shoulders by his extended neck right towards Sasuke. A burst of killing intent kept Sasuke still before Orochimaru managed to sink his teeth into the last Uchiha's shoulder.

"Gaah!" Sasuke bellowed as he stiffened from the bite.

Satisfied, Orochimaru recalled his head. It was in the nick of time before the Tiger Undead was close enough to take a swipe at it. Using another hand seal, the Snake Sannin vanished in a puff of smoke, smirking with his own annoying chuckle.

"_Damn!_" the Tiger Undead growled. The Elephant Undead just snorted and looked to Sasuke, who was trembling and crying out in pain.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura cried out. Both Undead looked and saw the pink-haired girl running towards them. Sakura had taken one look at Sasuke and immediately felt more useless than never before. She hadn't even taken part in the fight because she had been too afraid after the amount of killing intent had hit her. Even after Kyle dispelled it, she was still too scared to move. She had just sat there why Kyle, Sasuke, and Naruto had risked their lives in the fight.

A thump caught everyone's attention as they saw Leangle land on a nearby branch with Naruto over his shoulder.

"Damn!" he hissed. He could only watch as Sasuke's pain became too much for him to bear before he passed out. Leangle idly noted that the Curse Seal progressed faster than the manga had described.

Turning to Sakura, he saw she was trying to help Sasuke by picking him up, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Sakura nodded numbly. "But you guys aren't. I just sat there while you three tried to fight that guy off. I'm so useless."

Leangle shook his head before he gestured the Elephant Undead to help. Sakura was going into her pity fest quicker than the Rider expected. Perhaps it was because there was someone there to help her and her teammates. With nothing to distract her, she felt useless.

"Don't start crying on me now, Sakura," Leangle warned as the Elephant Undead picked up Sasuke. "I doubt many Genin would be able to stand up to Orochimaru, win or lose."

Wiping her eyes, Sakura turned to look at Leangle questioningly. Sighing, Leangle gestured for his two Undeads to follow him to the ground. The trip down was uneventful for a change, but there was a hollowed tree they could use for shelter. While Sakura made a fire, Kyle had both boys down in the hollow for them to rest.

After resealing the two free Undead, Kyle disengaged his armor and took a seat by the fire. Sakura was already out setting up traps in case of enemies. Even in the midst of her own grief, Sakura managed to get the job done. He could see her already hiding the tripwires underneath dead leaves and branches. Since he didn't know much about traps, Kyle delegated himself to making sure the two boys were okay. Naruto was snoozing soundly, but Sasuke kept groaning and writhing in his sleep. The Cursed Seal was doing its work while Sasuke struggled to stay alive.

"I hate this crap," Kyle sighed as he turned back to the fire. Sakura had already returned and was gazing sadly into it.

"Kyle," the pink-haired girl suddenly spoke up. "When you said not many people could go against that Orochimaru guy, what did you mean?"

"It's just logic," Kyle explained. "Sasuke and Naruto are used to being in the middle of life and death. For Sasuke it was witnessing his clan getting slaughtered and for Naruto it was the abuse he faced growing up."

"What about you?" asked Sakura.

"Me?" Kyle sighed. "I got used to it after facing the Undead in a couple of fights. Fighting humans with killer intent is better than fighting monsters who know nothing but killing."

Sakura shivered. She recalled the fight with the Mole Undead. It had radiated a good amount of killing intent. If she hadn't been distracted by how ugly it looked, she might have been stiffer in fighting it.

"Moving with that thought," Kyle continued. "You don't have ninjas in your family do you?"

"Not really," Sakura sighed. It had been one of the points she had been made fun of while in school before her forehead became a common point of ridicule.

"So you had no one to help you prepare for the kind of things that ninjas face," Kyle explained. "Sasuke had an entire clan and later people giving him hints while Naruto had his pranks and the bad side of the village. I had the Demon Brothers get me used to that when I fought them. They had beheaded one of the workers and I had to act fast or else they would have gotten me too."

Sakura just blinked at the Rider who seemed to become more mysterious than before. He seemed to have such a strange insight into the lives of Team 7 that not many people knew, or cared to learn. She wasn't sure if se should be flattered or be annoyed that he had dug so deeply to learn about them.

"My point anyway, is that while Sasuke, Naruto, and I were ready for this sort of thing, you weren't," Kyle finished. He then turned to Sakura. "You entered this test because you either didn't want to hold the team back, or you didn't want to hold Sasuke back, didn't you?"

Sakura was unsure of how to answer and Kyle left her to give her some time. He looked around. There were no doubt enemies around, waiting to strike, and with two of their own down, things didn't look to be in their favor. He took out his cards and flipped through them. He could use the Locust and Dragonfly Undead to scout around, but he would also need them when things got tough. Without them, he would be unable to assume Blade's King Form or Chalice's Wild Form. Also, his body was still exhausted from the last battle. He could not transform without the risk of dying.

"I'm scared," he heard Sakura say.

"Huh?" Kyle looked at her.

"I'm scared, I really am," Sakura shivered. "I haven't changed much, have I?"

"That's not true," Kyle protested.

"I was useless out there, just like at your old village. I couldn't do anything. I just froze up," she continued to berate herself.

"Hey, you're part of the team," Kyle said.

"I'm a dead weight," the pink-haired girl trembled. "It's been that way since all this started. Nami, and here, I've only stayed back while Sasuke and Naruto got the job done. They're moving so far ahead while I'm being left behind."

"Sakura," Kyle sighed as he turned to his teammate. "There are a lot of different versions of strength. You have a head for tactics and your chakra control is one of the best out of your class if what I learned was true. If you fought a guy like Sasuke, you'd probably outlast him and take him down when his chakra ran out. Naruto is strong in the physical sense since he's best with brute force. Sasuke is strong in ability with all the techniques he knows and his Sharingan to help him learn more. Technique and power mean nothing if you don't have the head to use them."

Kyle turned back to the fire and sat down next to Sakura and drew his Rouze Cards. He still had to figure out which ones would be best to help protect them. Of course, if a certain trio he had seen in the manga were going to show up, he would need them for a fight too.

"I've met the other teams and I find that there's a common pattern between all of them," Kyle continued. "After I came to Konoha I learned a lot about the different kinds of people who lived here so I was able to recognize them pretty easily. Take your blonde friend for example…Ino."

"What about her?" Sakura frowned. Even in the midst of depression she still regarded Ino as her rival.

"Well, her team is made up of the kids of the infamous Ino-Shika-Cho trio, right?" Kyle continued. "The Nara men seemed to have a lot of intelligent people their families while the Yamanaka clan has those mind control techniques. The Akamichi family has their body expansion techniques which turn them into living tanks. So, logically, Shikamaru is the strategy, Ino is the technique, and Chouji is the muscle."

That made sense to Sakura. Kyle had really done his research into Konoha if he knew that much about her rival and her team. She also had to admit that he was right about the aspects of the minor families. They were pretty well-known for those abilities.

"Let's move on to another team," Kyle continued. "Hinata Hyuuga, Kiba Inuzuka, and Shino Aburame. They follow the same pattern as our team and the trio."

"How?" asked Sakura. "I mean, Shino hardly says anything and Hinata is too shy to do much at all while Kiba is a lot like Naruto."

"That's where these people can kill you," Kyle explained. "You underestimate them. I did some checking and found that Shino scored highest in the academy next to you and Sasuke. He has a head for tactics. Hinata may be very shy, but she knows the Jyuuken, which is a very strict and powerful style that only members of her family can learn. How many people outside the clan can possibly know about it? Finally, there is Kiba, who specializes in attacks with his dog. Judging by how he acted like Naruto and seems more aggressive than his teammates, he has some power if he talks like that."

Sakura fell silent at that. She never really thought about that before. When the teams were called out she just thought it was something like a draw or matching up people's grades. When she had been called for Sasuke's team, she had assumed that she would have one of the smarter boys would be on her team. She had been suitably shocked when Naruto had been called as the final member of the team.

"Then where do you stand?" she finally asked. "Power, tactic, or technique?"

"That's the big question, isn't it?" Kyle smiled. "I'd say that power and technique are my strong points, since I can use the Rouze Cards in different combinations while my power as the Rider gives me strength. Strategy isn't my thing though. I guess I can also be creative and think of different combinations on the fly when I need to." He then finished, "We all have our own strengths, Sakura. It's a matter of combining them that matters. You have a gift, you just need to tap into it."

Sakura finally smiled, "Thanks, Kyle."

"You're welcome," Kyle said. "And don't see yourself as dead weight. Until those two wake up, it's our responsibility to keep them and the scroll safe."

Kyle was thanking any deity that Orochimaru hadn't managed to destroy the Heaven scroll that Sasuke was holding. He had probably been too caught up in the fight with the two Undead. It would probably make passing the exam a lot easier since they only needed to find an Earth scroll rather than hunt down both scrolls for themselves. Still, there were a lot of enemy ninjas out there who would take advantage of their current weakness and try to claim their scroll.

Sakura on the other hand was feeling much better. She may not have the raw power that Naruto had, nor the library of techniques that Sasuke possessed, but she had the brains to use everything around her efficiently. It definitely helped boost her confidence when she needed it.

The fire continued to crackle as the sun began to set on the first day of the five-day exam. No doubt the Sound Trio was planning their assault as Kyle and Sakura were resting and waiting for Sasuke and Naruto to wake up again. Kyle racked his brains for what else was going on in the forest while they were waiting. Near as he could tell, Team 8 had already gotten their scrolls with a stunt involving the flying leeches while Team 10 had yet to get theirs. Team Gai probably didn't have theirs yet or were already making a search area for themselves.

Knowing that neither of them could stay awake forever and stay strong in case of an attack, Kyle decided a little bit of help was needed. Summoning his Joker Belt, Kyle took the Category 10 of Clubs and slashed it through.

"**Remote!**"

Kyle's body was covered in a static field before it bulked up and he hunched over in his seat. As the field vanished, Kyle had changed into the Tapir Undead. His arms were thickly muscles and his feet were trunk-like with three toes. He had black armor over his shoulders and torso while his face was mostly covered with a black mask except that an elongated nose hung out. His eyes burned red like sunset and a mane of hair ran down his back in a ponytail.

Kyle/Tapir Undead reached to his case and pulled out a card from the Diamond suit. The Category 8 of Diamonds to be exact. The Scope Bat. He carelessly tossed the card out in front of him before his eyes fired a beam of red energy. The energy hit the card and instantly unsealed it. In a flash of light, another Undead had appeared.

This Undead was covered in black armor with deep blue skin underneath. It's hair was orange and ran down a line on its back. Its ears were pointed while its mouth was wide open with sharp teeth clearly visible. Instead of actual hands, it had elongated fingers with thin sheets of skin between them.

"_Keep watch during the night,_" Kyle/Tapir Undead ordered. "_If you sense anyone coming, wake us up. I will give further orders then._"

The Bat Undead nodded and planted itself in the middle of the clearing. Its ears were twitching as it took in all the sounds of the night. Sakura understood how he let one of the Undead watch their backs, but she was a little confused why he picked that specific Undead. The answer suddenly hit her when she realized that bats had excellent hearing and were naturally nocturnal. This Undead would be able to stay up all night and effectively guard them since it didn't rely solely on sight.

"**Spirit!**" Kyle's belt cried as he slashed his Category 2 of Hearts through it and returned to his human form.

Sakura had seen her teammate change dozens of times but it was still something to see every time. Feeling a little safer with a tireless guard, she turned her attentionback to Sasuke and Naruto, replacing the hot cloth on their foreheads with cooler ones.

A slight rustling noise came from a corner of the clearing and Sakura instantly reacted by throwing a kunai at the source. There was a loud squeak before she saw that the trespasser was just a small squirrel. The tiny mammal was quick to run away after being nearly skewered by the bladed weapon. The Bat Undead hadn't reacted to it since it hadn't felt like an enemy in any way while Kyle just ignored it, but kept a strict eye on the surrounding foliage.

"A little high-strung are we Sakura?" asked Kyle.

Kyle wasn't fooled, but he was pretending to be. He knew from the manga that the squirrel had an explosive tag on its back. It had been planted by the Sound Trio in some kind of sick trap. They had probably decided to use it to get close to the Konoha-nins before having the note explode and kill or injure them and finish off the survivors.

As the squirrel was running away, Kyle had spied the symbols of the explosive note that was stuck to its back. He had wanted to get the note off, but he knew that someone else was going to find it later and help it out. A certain disciple of Maito Gai to be exact.

The sole Rider knew that the three Oto-nins were probably watching at the moment. Zaku was most likely still angry about the 'sound slummie' and 'cheap tricks' comments. It would put a target on his back in the eye of the Oto-nin.

Sleep didn't come easy for either the Rider or Sakura. He was ready to go at a moment's notice while Sakura was still fretting over Sasuke and Naruto. Eventually they both fell asleep, feeling secure the Bat Undead was still standing strict guard over them.

--

Hidden under the veil of darkness and foliage, the Sound Trio was watching the camp grounds with analytical eyes.

"Just what the hell is that thing?" Kin grimaced as she examined the Bat Undead.

"Who cares?" Zaku growled. "I just want to kill that jerk who summoned it!" He obviously hadn't forgotten the cheap trick comment or the 'Sound slummie' comment.

"It doesn't matter," Dosu hissed. "We're here to do our job and that's it."

"So did Pinky see the explosive tag we put on that squirrel?" asked Kin. "She reacted pretty fast to it."

"Probably not," Dosu replied. "While she did react fast, she didn't throw the kunai until it started getting close to her. I think she set some traps and that squirrel would have set them off if it got close."

"What about the boy?" asked Kin.

"Stupid idiot probably never even suspected!" Zaku chuckled.

Dosu wasn't so sure. He had been observing the boy since they had gotten within viewing range of the Konoha team. While his words made it seem he was ignorant of the little trap they set with the squirrel, his actions were giving him away. Dosu prided himself on his sense of hearing which allowed him to learn a lot from hearing people's movements. One example was how he heard the pencil strokes during the first exam and determined what was being written. When the squirrel came running, his neck muscles turned slightly to see what was coming, but his entire body tensed when he stared at the squirrel. Usually when someone sees a squirrel coming, they don't tense up. The girl did for obvious reasons, but the boy was much less tense. He apparently didn't care about whatever traps were there, but he seemed to know something was up with the squirrel.

"Let's observe how they and that Summons act," Dosu commented. "We'll go for them in the morning."

--

Sunrise came and the two healthy members of Team 7 managed to get up without trouble. The Bat Undead was getting irritated from the sunrise so Kyle resealed it. While it may not have been able to die, it could still feel pain. No point in being cruel unless it did something to deserve it.

Sakura was already at Sasuke and Naruto's side, checking them for any changes that might have occurred during the night. Naruto seemed to have already recovered from any scratches or wounds he suffered yesterday, but Sasuke was still out cold and giving the odd groan from the marking on his neck. The pink-haired girl was still unsure what to do, but was thankful Kyle was there or else she might be worse off than she was now.

The Rider himself was keeping an eye out for interlopers in case someone else besides the Sound trio decided to make an appearance. It was unlikely to happen, but considering how some things already changed because of his presence, he wasn't going to take any chances.

"Any change with the sleeping beauties?" asked Kyle from his position as a guard.

"Not really," Sakura reported. "Naruto looks fine but Sasuke seems to be in pain still. I think he really needs some medical attention."

"Well, that's nothing you'll be needing to worry about," a new voice replied. "Since we'll be taking him off your hands."

Kyle and Sakura both turned to see who was talking and saw none other than the Sound trio. All of them looked like they were relaxed and that they were going to do a regular D-rank mission rather than face off against applicants in the Chunin exam.

"What are you talking about?!" Sakura cried out as she reached for her kunai. "I know a guy named Orochimaru is pulling the strings! What is it you guys want!?"

Kyle stood up and watched the three Oto-nins reveal their shock at hearing their leader had attacked the group of four. He knew that the three were ordered to assassinate Sasuke, but really it was just to get the Curse Seal to start working and give Sasuke a taste of the power he could get by going to him.

"So he didn't tell you he'd be here himself," Kyle smirked. "Since you all come from _Otogakure_, maybe you can tell us about a certain mark that Orochimaru put on Sasuke's neck. It stands to reason you'd know what it is."

Dosu's eye narrowed as he continued standing almost lazily. He seemed to be trying to think of an explanation, "Hmm. I wonder what Orochimaru is up to?"

"It doesn't matter! There's no way I can walk away after hearing that!" Zaku snorted. He then turned to glare directly at Kyle. "And I'm gonna get you for your 'Sound slummie' crack!"

Kyle just pretended to ignore the angry Oto-genin, which served to make the broom-headed boy even angrier. He was about to leap for an attack before Dosu held up his arm, stopping the attack.

"Wait, Zaku," he commented coldy.

"For what?!" Zaku growled.

"It's obvious," Dosu answered as he kneeled down. He reached to the grass and pulled it, revealing it to be a sheet of fake grass. "Freshly turned stones and exposed soil with grass growing where none could. Someone has been laying booby traps. Still, what's the point in laying them if you leave evidence behind?"

"It's amateurish!" Zaku laughed. "Guess you were right. She was throwing the kunai to keep the squirrel from springing the trap!"

"Well, the girl is no use, so we'll eliminate her first," Dosu spoke out coldly.

"Screw that!" Zaku snarled. "I want the guy's head!"

All thee Oto-genin leaped into action. They wet over the branches and the roots which were sticking out of the ground. It was their assumption that traps were laid on the ground. Sakura just smirked as she watched the three enemies approaching. Gripping her kunai, she slashed at the ground near her feet, cutting a string of invisible wire. Crashing sounds were suddenly heard above the three Oto-nins. They looked up to see a large log swinging down at them through the canopy.

'_How she managed to move that is beyond me,_' Kyle thought to himself as he reached for a card.

"The trap was above us this whole time?!" Dosu cried out.

Acting quickly, Dosu let his hand rest on the log before making a one-handed seal. There was a sudden pulse in the air before the log seemed to almost shatter like glass. The splinters of wood began to rain down as the three Oto-nins began to look down at their opponents. With their appearance running close, Kyle moved into action.

"**Absorb!**" the Joker Belt called as Kyle slashed the Category Queen of Spades through it. His body was engulfed in a static field before coming out as a strange goat-like form. Half his body was black white the other half was white. His left shoulder (the white half) had long horns sticking straight up. Trench coat-like fabric hung from his waist and almost touched the ground. Hs head looked like a goat's with red eyes and a mouth seemingly stitched shut. Either side of his head had another goat's head with a single horn sticking out.

"What the hell?!" Kin cried out.

"_BRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!_" Kyle/Capricorn Undead screeched, unleashing a blast of concentrated sound.

The three Oto-genin were knocked out of the air as the blast hit them. They all collided with the unforgiving dirt before skidding. Dosu was the quickest to recover since he had one of his ears covered, but Kin and Zaku were having a hard time recovering since the ringing in their ears was messing with their balance.

"_Category Queen: Absorb Capricorn,_" Kyle/Capricorn Undead. "_How did you like that sonic scream?_"

Sakura just gazed at the form her friend and teammate had taken to fight the three Oto-genin. This was the highest level of Undead that she had seen Kyle use since she had met him.

"Damn," Dosu hissed. "This guy is not what we were briefed on."

"Who cares?!" Zaku growled. "He uses sound attacks so we know how his attacks work! We can take him!"

All three Oto-genin seemed to agree with that final statement. In a flash of movement, they charged at the two Konoha-nins in front of them with their killing intent pulsing. Sakura tried stay on her feet while the instincts of the Capricorn Undead were beginning to get excited by the killing intent Kyle was faced with.

"KONOHA HURRICANE!"

A green blur shout out of the forest and lay several kicks into the three Oto-genin, forcing them back a second time. When the attacking force came to a halt, Sakura and Kyle/Capricorn Undead were left staring at none other than Rock Lee. Of course, his presence was slightly turned funny with the squirrel on his shoulder.

"Just who the heck are you?" Dosu growled dangerously. The new arrival turned around and stared at the trio with unbridled confidence in his eyes.

"I am Konoha's handsome green beast, Rock Lee!" Lee introduced proudly.

The Taijutsu expert turned to face his crush and 'youthful ally' and gasped loudly when he saw the form of the Capricorn Undead.

"YOSH!" he cried. "IS THAT YOU, KYLE-KUN?!"

"_Yes it's me, Lee-san,_" Kyle/Capricorn Undead sighed. "_Glad you made an appearance. As you can see, we are outnumbered._"

"I would be happy to assist a friend of the Leaf!" Lee smiled. "Also to protect the lovely Sakura-chan as to my oath to her!"

Sakura blinked from the mention of his promise to her. She recalled it from when they had first met, but she had never really expected him to take it this seriously. To actually go against dangerous ninjas just to protect her was an amazing thing to do for someone.

Dosu didn't seem nearly as impressed as he reached into his tunic, revealing and Earth scroll. He tossed it back to Zaku carelessly.

"You can have little Sasuke," Dosu ordered his fellow Genin. "Add that animal freak for good measure."

"Heh," Zaku smirked. "Music to my ears."

Dosu reacted first with a charge at the three Konoha ninjas. Sakura reacted quickly by throwing another kunai at the bandaged boy. She missed when he leaped into the air, but by the time he was coming back down, Lee was already. Dosu anticipated destroying the Taijutsu user with his tricks, but Lee did something strange. Instead of attacking, he slammed his hand into the ground. His hand actually went deep into the soil as Dosu came at him with his hand brought back into a fist. Lee frowned as he gripped something under the dirt and yanked it up.

The ground seemed to explode as a large tree root was brought into the sunlight as Dosu brought his fist down for his attack. The wood of the root was suddenly shredded in a large crater.

'_He's…so strong!_' Sakura gasped inwardly.

"I had thought your attacks were illusions until Kyle-kun mentioned your attacks were sound based," Lee spoke. "It would be stupid of me to let your attacks hit especially with the body being made mostly of water, which sound can travel through very easily. Wood on the other hand absorbs it."

"Hmph!" Zaku snorted. It was no skin off his nose since Dosu was stupid enough to show his techniques in open view at the first exam. Still, he was paying more attention to the goat guy watching by the sidelines.

"I see an opening!" he crowed as he flipped through seals before aiming his palms at Kyle/Capricorn Undead. "_Zankuha!_" (Decapitating Air wave!)

A blast of concentrated air pressure ripped through the air and was aimed directly at Kyle/Capricorn Undead. The sounds of the air coming at him along with the dirt being hurled away from the oncoming blast signaled its approach.

"_Too slow!_" Kyle/Capricorn Undead roared. "_BRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH!!_"

The one bearing the power of the Capricorn Undead unleashed another sonic roar. It was just as invisible as Zaku's blast. Both invisible attacks collided with each other with a loud crack which echoed in the woods. Dirt was flying in all directions and dust was blocking everyone's sight.

"Did I get him?" Zaku asked openly, daring to hope that he had gotten the guy who had pissed him off.

He quickly got his answer when the cloud of dust was parted as Kyle/Capricorn Undead charged forward with a strange crescent moon shaped weapon raised. It was obviously sharp since the light was catching on the edge.

"Damn!" Zaku hissed as he attempted to get back.

--

As all this action was going on, the Ino-Shika-Cho trio was having their own team meeting in a smaller clearing.

"Gaaaaaaaahhh!" Ino shrieked. "How can we pick off the weak when there aren't any weaklings?!

More specifically, Ino was crabbing about their bad luck while Shikamaru was trying to ignore her with Chouji groaning about the lack of food. Ino had previously tried to seduce the scroll out of Neji Hyuuga's hands, but that flopped magnificently. Now they were getting desperate.

Shikamaru just sighed and decided to give his opinion on the matter, "You know, there is still Naruto's team."

"WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT YOU IDIOT?!" Ino shrieked, threating to bash Shikamaru over the head with her fist. "NARUTO AND SAKURA MAY BE TOTAL LOSERS BUT THEY'RE ON SASUKE'S TEAM! THE BEST OF THE BEST!"

"What about that Kyle guy?" asked Chouji. "We don't know anything about him."

Ino just went on crabbing about Sasuke's greatness but Shikamaru took a moment to think about what Chouji had said. Kyle was a newcomer to Konoha and he was put on Team 7 suddenly, which begged to ask just what he had done to be made a ninja so quickly. There had to be something about him that would have made the council pretty eager to make him a ninja as soon as he appeared in Konoha. It probably had something to do with how he changed his form into that lizard…thing. It sure freaked out enough people when he did it.

Ino continued to crab before something came hurtling through the trees and colliding with the tree between Shikamaru and Ino, embedding itself in it. It looked like a crescent moon that was gray with a razor edge.

"WHAT THE HELL IS THAT!?" Ino shrieked.

"Some kind of weapon," Shikamaru sweatdropped. It seemed that way to him anyway.

"Hey, it's one of those Oto guys," Chouji suddenly pointed out. "And he's fighting some kind of goat thing."

Ino and Shikamaru turned to see what was happening and sure enough, they saw one of the Oto-genin facing off against a strange goat creature. His shoulder was bleeding, apparently from the weapon which was embedded in a tree between Ino and Shikamaru. Ino looked closer at what was happening and gasped at seeing Sasuke unconscious on the ground with Sakura fiercely protecting him.

"Sasuke-kun?" she gasped.

--

Lee had seen the assault on Dosu and was glad to notice that numbers were on his side. Kyle was keeping one of the Oto-genin at bay while Sakura was ready to leap in. The last Oto-genin was lying back, but that might end up being a bad thing if she was any kind of long-range specialist. The bandaged Genin in front of him was proving to be just as dangerous.

Lee was considering his options as he and Dosu stared each other down. This ninja had nothing to lose and a lot to gain. Since Sakura was dead-set in protecting Naruto and Sasuke and wasn't going to move, she was almost a sitting duck. If Dosu's attacks shot wildly, then she might get hit. Lee had to end this quickly.

'_Gai-sensei,_' Lee thought as he began unwrapping the bandages on his arms. '_Now is surely the time for me to use this forbidden skill that you have taught me, without restraint!_'

Lee watched as Dosu began his attack before he darted into a crouch in front of the bandaged Oto-nin. Dosu's eyes widened before Lee used an upper kick which launched him into the air.

"I'm not done with you yet!" Lee frowned as he leaped underneath the flying Oto-nin.

Lee wrapped his arms around Dosu as the bandages bound him tightly. The bushy-browed ninja then yanked Dosu into a downward spiral which would have put Dosu's head into the dirt.

Kyle/Capricorn Undead looked up at the descending Lee and Dosu with satisfaction, '_Good. With me distracting Zaku, then there's no one left to save him. That puts Dosu out of the equation sooner and put us one step closer to beating these clowns. By finishing the fight, we might be able to keep the Curse Seal from activating._'

Zaku flinched when he saw the attack on his Teammate, but Kyle/Capricorn Undead brought his attention back to the fight by going for another tackle. It wasn't a serious attack, but it was enough for Zaku to pay full attention to him again.

"Take this!" Lee roared as he executed the attack. "_Forward Lotus!_"

A loud slam echoed through the air as Dosu met the ground with the force Lee put into the attack. The ground itself even cracked under the pressure of the attack. Zaku was stunned at the sight and even Kyle/Capricorn Undead gave a moment to admire the result.

The body of Dosu trembled slightly before he managed to pull himself out of the ground. He stumbled slightly before he collapsed onto the dirt and grass. As much as he tried to move himself, the strike to his spinal column and head rendered him unmovable.

'_Just…what kind of…technique was…that?!'_ Dosu thought with exertion. '_I can…barely feel…my body. I'm…wiped!_"

Lee was a little surprised to see Dosu get out of the hole, but was relieved to see him collapse again. It was good since the Forward Lotus technique brought some considerable damage to the user's body as much as the target's.

Zaku gulped before he turned to face his opponent before receiving a face full of a black fist. The second Oto-genin slammed into the ground before he skidded to a stop.

"Crap!" Zaku spat, leaving a small puddle of blood on the ground. "This guy ain't human!"

"_How perceptive,_" Kyle/ Capricorn Undead grunted as he stepped in front of the downed Oto-genin. The broom-headed boy felt himself lifted up by the scruff of the neck. "_Now, let's see where you put that Earth scroll._"

Zaku had all his pockets searched before Kyle/Capricorn Undead pulled out the Earth scroll. The Oto-genin would have resisted, but he was still feeling loopy from the punch to the face. Satisfied that he had what they were after, Kyle/Capricorn Undead threw Zaku back to the ground.

"_You can crawl back to your king snake Orochimaru and tell him he's not going to get his hands on Sasuke!_" Kyle/Capricorn Undead spat. "_If he wants a pair of Sharingan eyes then he can go after Itachi!_"

Kyle turned to his teammates and friends. His eyes widened when he saw Sakura being held by the hair by the final Oto-nin. Sakura must have fought back but there were scratches over her arms. Kyle also took notice of some senbon needles with bells stuck in the trunk of the tree behind her. Kin must have used her single Genjutsu trick to get her.

'_And since I have a partial immunity to Genjutsu in an Undead form I probably didn't notice her using it, and with all the sonics being thrown around I wouldn't hear her using it either,_' Kyle cursed mentally.

"First of all," Kin snickered as she turned to Kyle. "You! Freak! Drop the Earth scroll!"

"_Then what?" _Kyle asked, trying to stall for time. He just needed single distraction before he could switch to a faster Undead form and get Sakura away from the bloodthirsty girl.

"Then my teammates can recover and we can kill Sasuke," Kin shrugged. "Right in front of everyone."

Sakura stiffened from the mention of the death of her teammate and how casually these three were talking about killing. She desperately wanted to help, but that Genjutsu had gotten her by surprise and she didn't want to move an inch or she might get the girl to attack her.

"_What's stopping me from blowing you away with a sonic scream?" _Kyle/Capricorn Undead asked.

"Besides the fact you might hit your teammate?" Kin smirked. "I may not be able to dodge, but I can slit her throat before you hit me."

Sakura wanted to whimper. This was exactly what she was talking about with Kyle before! She was a complete dead weight and was always getting in the way. Sasuke and Naruto might not have been as hurt as they were now, and Lee might not be in his condition now. Kyle wouldn't have to stand still, waiting for the other nins to wake up and attack him, even with the strong powers he had.

'_I don't want to be useless anymore!_' Sakura cried in her thoughts. '_I need to help the people I care about!_'

Sakura reached to her pouch and drew yet another kunai. She flipped it around before pointing it at the Oto-nin.

"Oh don't try it," Kin smirked. "Your little tricks won't work."

"Wanna bet?" Sakura smirked before she went into action.

She slashed upwards and instead of cutting Kin, she cut through her own hair. Kin was left holding a bunch of pink hair while Sakura rolled away with considerably shorter hair. Kyle/Capricorn Undead acted fast by unleashing another sonic roar.

"_BRAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!_"

Kin was hit hard in the gut before she was knocked off her feet and slammed against a tree trunk.

"Gah!" Kin cried, feeling woozy from hitting her head on the tree.

Sakura stood straight as she took in the results of Kyle's attack. Kin was recovering from the blow to the head, Zaku was still seeing stars, and Dosu was lucky to be moving at all after Lee's attack.

Kyle/Capricorn Undead looked up at Sakura and the deadly serious look in her eyes. This was no longer Sakura the fangirl. This was Sakura the Kunoichi.

"_Now this is the kind of girl Sasuke might go for,_" Kyle/ Capricorn Undead chuckled, catching the girl's attention.

"You think so?" Sakura smiled, still tired from the events.

"YOSH!" Lee cried in admiration. "SAKURA-CHAN! Your youthful beauty shines so greatly now that you have truly blossomed! OSSU!"

Over at the side, Ino, Shikamaru, and Chouji were shocked to see what was happening in front of them. Ino was so surprised to see her rival fighting so hard. Shikamaru was still staring at Kyle/Capricorn Undead and memorizing its abilities while Chouji was just wondering if the goat-man still tasted like goat meat.

Around the trio, the three Oto-nins were beginning to get back up. They were bruised and beaten, but they weren't dead yet. Kyle/ Capricorn Undead looked at all three of them before he decided to speak up.

"_Get out of here,_" he ordered. "_And remember to give Orochimaru my message._"

Zaku, having recovered enough of his senses limped over and slung Dosu over his shoulder. Kin managed to get her balance back before all three ninjas leaped into the trees and far away.

Sakura heaved a large sigh of relief as she let her legs collapse beneath her. Lee began to cheer loudly about their youthful victory. Kyle/Capricorn Undead simply reached to his belt and pulled out the Two of Hearts.

"**Spirit!**" the belt cried before Kyle was returned to his human form. His body trembled for a moment before he trembled violently and collapsed on the ground.

"Kyle-kun!"

"Kyle!"

The eldest of the trio found himself being lifted by his comrades and brought over to the fire. Sakura fretted again while Lee tried to discern what was wrong with him. Over in the bushes, Ino, started dragging Shikamaru and Chouji over to the group.

"But that guy is scary!" Chouji whined.

"Shut it!" Ino snapped. "I'm not going to miss the opportunity to nurse Sasuke-kun back to health!"

"Troublesome," Shikamaru sighed.

Sakura watched her rival and her teammates walking towards the group. She decided that they had been watching the battle and decided to come out now that things were a little safer. Not that she could really blame them.

"Hey, is that guy okay?" Shikamaru asked when he saw Kyle. It was obvious that Naruto and Sasuke were resting, but Kyle looked run down.

"I'm fine," Kyle sighed. "Just changed too many times in a short amount of time. I just need some rest and I'm good as new."

"Those are some scary forms," Chouji commented.

"Yosh!" Lee cried out. "There is nothing to fear! They are merely the beautiful beast forms of Konoha's newest ally, Kyle-kun!"

"You call those freaky forms beautiful?" Ino gaped at Lee like he was nuts.

"Not in looks, but in function," Kyle sighed, trying to relax.

The group of Konoha-nins settled down around the fire and kept watch over Sasuke and Naruto. Lee was slowly recovering from the strain put on his muscles while Sakura was having Ino trim up her hair. Shikamaru snoozed while Chouji happily ate some spare rations that Kyle had in his own pouch.

"Hey, Lee!" a new voice spoke. "What are you doing lazing around here?"

Everyone looked up to see Neji and Tenten standing in one of the treetops, staring down at the group gathered around the fire.

"Oh! Neji! Tenten!" Lee cried out. He was immediately on his feet and staring up at his teammates. "I was recovering from a grand battle between us and the Oto-nins! I even had to use the Forward Lotus!"

"I see," Neji frowned slightly, seemingly recognizing the technique in question. Tenten had actually gasped when she heard Lee had to use it. Neji just took the news in stride before talking again. "Well, come on. We still have to get the other scroll we need."

Lee nodded swiftly and leaped up to his teammates. Before they managed to leave, Lee turned around and waved at Sakura, "I'll be a stronger man when we meet again! I swear it!"

"Yeah!" Sakura smiled in agreement. With a bright smile on his face, Lee left with his team. Returning her attention back to the fire, Sakura turned to look at Kyle. "That form you used was one of the high level Undeads, right?"

"That's right," Kyle nodded.

"But…why did you choose a Category Queen?" Sakura asked.

"Category Queen?" Shikamaru asked out of rare interest in something besides the clouds. "That form was female?"

Kyle groaned, "No. That was the only male Queen I have in my deck."

This answer let with some laughter. It was understandable since the form he had used was dubbed a queen but was still a male.

Kyle rolled his eyes. "Guys, please…" He didn't like being laughed at. If he had used the forms of any of the truly female Queens, it would've been a whole lot hilarious.

"Sorry," Sakura apologized. "I still want to know why you used it though. Were those three that bad?"

"It wasn't so much the level, but the ability," Kyle explained as he poked the fire with a stick. "Absorb Capricorn has the ability to fire sonic roars at any target he wishes. I figured what better weapon to use than the enemies own, right?"

Shikamaru shrugged while the other Genin gave nods. It all made sense to them. Still, Ino was looking at him with a speculative eye. Obviously, she still had some questions she wanted answered. With Ino, one always answered her questions before too long. Shikamaru and Chouji could testify to that.

"So just what exactly are those cards?" she frowned. "I've never heard of anything like them before."

Kyle smirked and decided to answer, "Well, these are the only cards of their kind. They are called the Rouze Cards. I'd tell you more, but since we're in the middle of a test you can understand why I'm tight-lipped about it."

The platinum blonde pouted/fumed at being given such a vague answer, but she remained quiet about it. Shikamaru accepted Kyle's answer, but couldn't help but wonder if the cards he had were the only ones, then how did he acquire and learn how to use them? Something didn't add up and for once in his life, he was getting interested.

Kyle allowed himself to tune out the conversation for a while. While he was tuned out, he took stock of the situation. So far, Orochimaru had attacked on schedule and managed to mark Sasuke. The Oto-nins got their licks in, but they were taken down before all the killing intent in the air activated the Curse Seal and get Sasuke to start yearning for Orochimaru's power. If things went well then they could get to the tower and have Kakashi seal the damned thing before the last Uchiha managed to get a chance to use it. There was also the concern of Kabuto sneaking his way into the group with his friendly act. He probably did it in the manga because he wanted to get Sasuke into the semi-finals so Orochimaru could watch Sasuke's progress himself.

Bringing himself back to reality, Kyle continued to watch the fire. No point in worrying himself about things at the moment. He just had to concentrate on getting him and his team to the tower before the five day time limit expired. There were probably a lot of teams left in the testing grounds that were getting desperate. Well, the ones Gaara hadn't killed anyway.

A soft groaning noise echoed from the hollow of the tree and everyone turned to see what it was. Ino and Sakura's eyes grew sparkly as they saw that it was Sasuke who was getting up from his slumber.

"Sasuke-kun!" the both cried as they dashed over to help him.

Troublesome," Shikamaru sighed as he ignored the squealing fangirls.

"I'll never know what they see in the brooding silent type," Kyle sighed. One would think that girls would appreciate a guy who talked to them beyond pointing out how bad they were at being ninjas.

The girls fussed over the last Uchiha and left Naruto alone in his snoozing. Kyle just shook his head and decided that it was high time they woke up the orange-clad boy and got a move on. The exam was going to end in another four days and they needed to get moving or else they were going to fail. Since they now had both scrolls, they were going to have huge bull's-eyes on their backs. Even bigger than when they started the exam.

Getting a sneaky idea, Kyle walked over to the snoozing Naruto and leaned down next to his head so he could whisper in the boy's ear.

"Hey, Naruto," Kyle whispered in the blonde's ear. "Sasuke is stealing all the ramen in the world and isn't going to let you have any."

"THAT BASTARD!" Naruto roared as he sat up. He looked in all directions wildly. "The ramen! Where did the Teme put the ramen! I'll kill him for this!"

Kyle grinned at the outburst and tugged on Naruto's jacket, "Relax already. The ramen is safe and out of Sasuke's hands. Besides, you're awake aren't you?"

Naruto blinked drowsily at Kyle before he frowned, "That was a mean trick, Kyle-nii."

"Maybe so," Kyle nodded. "But we don't have time to sleep right now. With that snake-freak Orochimaru still running around and his little Oto-nins likewise here, we can't afford to sit still."

"Huh?" Naruto blinked. "What do you mean, Kyle-nii?"

"Naruto, Orochimaru is still out there and he marked Sasuke with some kind of seal," Kyle explained. "I don't know everything about it but I can guess it won't be good for Sasuke or anyone around him. Orochimaru also sent that Oto team to kill Sasuke while you and he were asleep. We managed to fight them off, but who knows if they or Orochimaru himself will be back."

Sasuke flinched at the thought of going against Orochimaru again. While the girls were fussing over him, he had listened in on Kyle and Naruto. He was in no way prepared to go against someone like that snake again. They lucked out since he just marked Sasuke with the seal, but what did they know about it? The last Uchiha didn't want to think about it and he didn't want to provoke fate by fighting until he knew how the seal itself worked.

--

Meanwhile, Orochimaru was still in the middle of his recuperation. Though he'd marked the Uchiha, he hadn't expected to fight the Rider. He hadn't even expected the strange abilities the armored figure had. "Maybe I should've marked that card user instead." The body that the Rouze Card user had seemed to be immortal, something that Orochimaru wanted. He never got tired or winded during that battle. The same could be said for those summons he used. Even the wounds they did receive didn't slow them down and that made the snake Sannin tremble with excitement. With an immortal body, he would no longer need to transfer his consciousness into a new body, which would eventually decay and die. That was his life long dream. The perfect immortal body to accompany his god-like knowledge of all the jutsus in the world.

Kabuto was meant to collect data on the Shinobi but all information on the Rider seemed incomplete or vague to say the least. At least now Orochimaru knew what to expect in the future. What seemed to be a concern at the moment was how ineffective his killing aura was on the Rider. It actually seemed to do the opposite of what he intended. Rather than scaring the fellow, it seemed to get him even more intent on the battle. Stun tactics may not work on this one.

His musings were cut short when he felt the chakra of his former apprentice coming closer. Deciding to amuse himself with her, he started leaping through the trees. Kabuto could get any further information that was needed on the Rider in the meantime.

--

The night passed again with Team 7 on the move again. They had said their goodbyes to Team 10 and were trying to get to the tower. They were moving slow though because they didn't want to catch attention. That meant that their moves had to be slow and Kyle had to keep out of his Undead forms since they caught the most attention of all. At this moment in time, Naruto was thrashing around in the water wearing nothing but his boxers while Sasuke was throwing kunai at the stunned fish. Naruto had finally come up for air when Sasuke had nailed three of them.

"Bring those ones in, Dobe," Sasuke called to Naruto. "I want to have three piles so we have enough food to go around."

A large splash caught their attention, revealing a red and green creature which looked like it had a large shell for a head and left hand covered in small sea life leaping out of the water with its arms filled with fish. This was Kyle in the form of the Shell Undead.

"_Got all the fish we need,_" Kyle/Shell Undead spoke up weakly.

Sasuke nodded as he watched the Rider in Undead form toss the fish onto the ground. While he was taking tally, Sakura came through the underbrush.

"I have the fire ready," she announced.

"Good," Sasuke nodded. "We'll take these then."

Naruto grumbled about Sasuke being high and mighty as he dragged himself out of the water. Kyle/Shell Undead shook his head before following. Some things were probably never going to change.

"**Spirit!**" the Joker Belt announced as Kyle resumed his human form. He looked over to the still grumpy Naruto. "Chin up, Naruto. We'll be on our way with full stomachs and we'll get to that tower by sundown."

"Yeah," Naruto nodded. He then got a big grin on his face. "And then we'll be one step closer to being Chunin!"

"That's the spirit," Kyle laughed as he and Naruto met up with the others as the fire, where Sakura had four fish roasting over the fire.

"It's been almost three days since this exam began," Sasuke spoke as he looked to his teammates. "That means the exam is about half over now."

"And we got both scrolls already!" Naruto grinned. "Man we're good!"

"Don't say it so loud, Naruto!" Sakura hissed as she bonked him over the head with her fist. Kyle just sighed. It was almost like she hadn't had a near-death experience since she was acting like the fangirl as always.

"We were lucky to survive Orochimaru and his assassins," Kyle added. "More to the point, the other teams who don't have a complete set are going to start getting desperate. Konoha may have the most teams entering these exams, but the foreign ninjas outnumber us with combined forces. Not to mention that they probably aren't going to be friendly."

"Right," Sasuke nodded. "We can't afford to keep going slow. Sooner or later we are going to get found out and we are going to get attacked. With our strength limited, we will have a hard time with it."

Kyle silently agreed with the last Uchiha. He had that curse mark on his neck which was going to keep messing with him until it was either sealed or he succumbed to it. Naruto's Kyuubi power was likewise sealed while Sakura was exhausted of her limited chakra. Kyle himself was getting tired from changing so many times in one day and only had a few more changes left in him.

One thing for sure, if he were to face Orochimaru again, it would not be as an Undead, but as a true Kamen Rider.

To Be Continued…

A/N: Hey everyone. I thought I'd update something at long last. My usual computer is in for repairs so I had to look for this before I posted it. I hope you all enjoy.


	7. Chapter 7

I do not own Kamen Rider Blade nor do I own Naruto. These belong to their respective creators and not me. I am not getting anything out of this story besides enjoyment and some relaxation. As such is now said, please enjoy.

The Forgotten Rider

By Ten-Faced Paladin

Chapter 7: The Preliminaries

Night was due anytime in the Forest of Death where the second stage of the Chuunin exams was taking place. In one portion of the large forest, Team 7 was busy regaining their strength from the first two days of the exam. On their first day, they had been assaulted by the Sannin Orochimaru, leaving Naruto unconscious and Sasuke with a strange seal on his neck. It was up to Kyle and Sakura to make sure nothing happened to them. That morning, they were attacked by the lone Oto-nin team who were apparently under orders to kill Sasuke. A timely arrival of Rock Lee helped even the odds a little.

With the trio defeated and both of the fallen members of Team 7 back to somewhat acceptable health, they were moving on to the tower in hopes of finishing the test. At the moment, they were eating some of the fish that Naruto and Kyle had collected. All four of them were seating around a small camp fire that was just big enough for cooking fish.

Naruto himself was munching happily, eager to have some food. His chakra had been messed up by Orochimaru and he wasn't running at one-hundred percent. In truth, Orochimaru had slapped a five-pronged seal over the one already holding the Kyuubi back. It completely cut off the demonic chakra and messed with Naruto's already minimal control over his chakra.

Sasuke was just as bad off, if not more so. The seal Orochimaru had placed on him weakened his body. It also made him feel like he had been through hell. It ached and throbbed at random moments. Although he was hiding it from his teammates, he felt each and every pain rocketing through his body like a fire. He was really considering what kind of medical treatment he would need once they got to the tower itself.

Sakura was in desperate need of some rest. Even though Kyle had released the Bat Undead to keep watch, she couldn't help but stay awake a good portion of the night in fear for her team. The battle with the Oto-nins didn't help things. The energy she was getting from the food was the only thing keeping her from collapsing at this point. Her chakra supply was already dangerously low, but thankfully recovering.

Kyle himself wasn't even in good shape and he knew what was going to happen. This was the first time he had to transform so many times. He had changed to Chameleon during the written test, Mantis, Human, Tapir, Human, Capricorn, Human, Shell, and finally Human again. Using his abilities during battle didn't help him much either. He knew he only had a couple more changes left in him before he either collapsed, or injured himself.

"So when are we going to get a move on?" Naruto asked impatiently.

"We'll move after we finish eating," Sasuke replied. "You forget that already, dobe?"

Naruto growled, but Kyle grabbed the back of his jacket to hold him back, "We don't need any more fights erupting between you two. The smoke and smell of the fish will already be enough of a signal."

"Really?" Sakura gulped.

"Yeah," Kyle nodded. "I wouldn't be surprised if someone was already watching us, waiting for an opportunity to make an appearance."

He wasn't kidding either. From what Kyle recalled in the manga, Kabuto was due to make an appearance sometime soon. If that wasn't enough, the Ame-nin from before was already probably watching them. Since they had both scrolls, Kabuto might not make his appearance. He was probably watching though. Orochimaru probably gave him orders to make sure Sasuke passed the exam. He couldn't afford to have his future body be in poor condition.

Naruto and Sakura shivered at Kyle's words. Sasuke seemed to look indifferent, but even he was slightly worried about being attacked from behind. Kyle's face remained grave as he ate away at his fish. He knew he needed the energy, and probably soon.

"Your friend has good instincts," a voice called from the trees.

All four members of Team 7 looked up to see Kabuto kneeling on one of the branches. Kyle instantly reached to his pocket and grabbed the Ace of Hearts. Taking up a battle stance, he squared off against Kabuto.

"What are you doing Kyle?" cried Sakura. "It's only Kabuto!"

"Yeah!" Naruto nodded. "Calm down Kyle-nii!"

"We can't be sure of that!" Kyle frowned. "This could be someone who saw us talking to him back at the first exam and decided to try and look like a friendly face. Even if it is him though, even Konoha-nins are our opponents during this exam. He may want to steal our scrolls!"

Kabuto looked down on the group as the blonde and pink-haired ninjas suddenly realized what their teammate was saying. The Uchiha seemed as stoic as ever, but even he took notice to the older boy's words. It seemed the truth of things was beginning to break through the naïve walls that surrounded their minds.

"Again you impress," Kabuto chuckled. "It's true, I might be a ninja using a _henge_ and I may be trying to steal your scrolls. This exam leaves only your teammates as true allies."

Kyle just kept his stare as even as he could. While he knew that what he had just said was true, he also knew that Kabuto was bad news. Being a spy for Orochimaru, Kyle couldn't afford to let him see any more of his power than what he already knew. That in itself was going to be hard since Kabuto knew next to nothing about his abilities. It was bad enough that Orochimaru knew what he did. If they compared notes, they might figure out something more.

Leaping down from his tree, Kabuto held his arms wide so that the members of Team 7 could see his empty hands. He was holding no weapons and his hands were too far apart for any kind of hand signs. In essence, the only thing he could do was run or jump. In ninja ways, he was taking a gamble.

"Is he under a _henge_?" Naruto asked Sakura quickly.

"I don't think so," Sakura admitted. "But we'd something to test."

"The skill cards," Sasuke spoke up. "Show us the skill cards I asked for before the first exam."

"Sure thing," Kabuto nodded as he pulled three blank cards out of his pouch. Holding them up, his chakra flared before images appeared on them. Sasuke stepped forward until he was close enough and read off the information of Sabaku no Gaara, Rock Lee, and Kyle Jones.

"He's the real Kabuto," Sasuke called back to his team.

"That answers one question," Kyle frowned. He relaxed slightly, but only about a fraction. "That still leaves one more."

"Then I'll answer that too," Kabuto replied as he slowly reached to his pouch. Pulling his arm out, he reveal both a Heaven and an Earth scroll. "I got separated from my team. I was heading to the tower to meet up with them when I ran into you guys."

"So you figured safety in numbers?" asked Sakura.

"Pretty much," Kabuto nodded. "I'm toast if I meet up against an enemy team. At least with another Konoha team I have a chance. Since you guys seemingly have both scrolls then that's even better for the both of us."

"We get extra help and you get a better chance of reaching the tower," Sasuke muttered. He considered the offer for a moment. "Fine. We were heading that way anyway."

"Good," Kabuto nodded. "Glad to be here."

Kyle, with no logical reason to be suspicious anymore, relaxed but kept the Ace of Hearts gripped in his hand. Looking to the fire, he proceeded to put it out with the dirt and rocks that were surrounding them. The fire sizzled in protest before it went out completely.

"If we're going to get to the tower," Kyle spoke. "We'd better get a move on then. I wasn't kidding when I talked about the smoke and scent."

Bringing the card to his belt, he willed the Joker Belt to appear. He could practically feel Kabuto's gaze as he slashed the card through, "Henshin."

"**Change!" **the belt called before Kyle's image was replaced by Chalice.

Kabuto watched the entire change with a hidden critical eye. The change was near instantaneous. No room for trying to disrupt it. However, the way it announced whichever card was being put through would offer opponents an opening to finding out his attacks or when he was going to change his form. A flaw that might cost him dearly.

"_Let's go,_" Chalice announced coolly before he turned to the direction of the tower.

"Yeah!" Naruto cheered. "Let's pass this thing!"

Sakura and Sasuke nodded before Kabuto gave a small grin. Soon, the group of five was leaping through the trees towards their goal. Things were silent going. Apparently Kabuto didn't feel the need to lecture the group about the kinds of enemies who were probably due to appear on the way to the tower.

"It's smooth sailing from here on out!" Naruto grinned. Chalice just sighed.

"You'd be dead wrong there Naruto," Kabuto answered, catching everyone's attention.

Now the speech was due to begin.

"If anything, the enemies are going to be more concentrated the closer we get to the tower," Kabuto explained. "We may be halfway through the exams by now, but the smart teams will be waiting near the tower to ambush the teams who already have both scrolls."

"_They will be after any scrolls they can get,_" Chalice spoke. "_Either they will want scrolls of their own, extras to give to teams from their home villages for intelligence on later tests if they can get it, and to cut down on the competition. Either by making them fail, or just killing them so skilled ninjas won't stand against their village and their chances of making Chuunin._"

"Bingo," Kabuto nodded. "The deadliest and worst of these groups are the ones who never let their guard down and never get complacent. Now you know why I wanted to head there with you guys."

"Safety in numbers," Sasuke smirked.

The four Konoha-nins and lone Rider landed on a large branch that gave them a good view of the tower. In all, it looked pretty close. Naruto began to get giddy, one step closer to becoming a Chunin. Chalice kept his hands on his bow. He knew what was going to be coming soon.

"Well, at least we can see the tower now," Sakura sighed with relief coming into her voice.

"Stay on guard," Sasuke warned.

Naruto nodded, anticipating a great time, but suddenly stiffened. He could hear the sound of shuffling behind him and after hearing what he had from both Kabuto and Chalice; he wasn't going to get caught off guard. Grabbing one of his kunai, Naruto threw the kunai with enough force as he could.

"There!" he cried out, hoping to score a hit.

"_Hold it!_" Chalice called out. Focusing on the Undead reflexes that his form allowed him, he snatched the bladed weapon out of the air. The weapon nicked his hand, letting green blood dribble down to the sides and to the ground.

The lone Rider and the remaining three ninjas turned to see what Naruto had been aiming for. To everyone's surprise, a giant centipede was crawling up the side of the tree that was behind them. Sakura shivered and let out a squeak of disgust. Kabuto shrugged, but Sasuke was sending an annoyed glare at Naruto.

"_Good reflexes, but seeing what you are aiming at is just as important,_" Chalice advised. Tossing the kunai back to Naruto, he walked closer to the giant centipede.

"What are you doing?" asked Sasuke.

"_Something I wanted to experiment with, but didn't get the chance,_" Chalice answered. Reaching to his belt, he drew a new Rouze Card which depicted a centipede on it. This was the ten of hearts, the Shuffle Centipede. Bringing it to his belt, he slashed it through.

"**Shuffle!**" the Rouzer called before Chalice was engulfed in the black static field.

Emerging from it, Kyle/Centipede Undead looked to be a mix between red and dark skin in patches. Running down the centre of his chest was a strip of metal with spikes jutting from it. Long centipede legs jutted from his left shoulder while a centipede head stretched from his right. His head looked skeletal with red or black patches. In the centre of his face, a strip of metal with metal spikes jutting out ran down. Metal studs could be seen on his sides and with smaller centipede legs making odd appearances.

"Ewww!" Sakura gagged.

Kyle/Centipede Undead shook his head and continued walking towards the giant centipede. The large insect in question had come to a stop and looked like it was waiting for Kyle/Centipede Undead to come closer.

"_Can you understand me?_" Kyle/Centipede Undead asked the giant insect.

"_I can, Ancient Father,_" the centipede answered. "_Although you aren't the first Ancient Father, you have his power and I will respect you._"

"_Thank you,_" Kyle/Centipede Undead nodded. "_Are there any humans who are near myself and the other four behind me?_"

"_Many humans passed through,_" the centipede answered. "_Some smell like grass, some like sand, some like snakes, some like water, and some like home. Still, there are three who smell like rain nearby. They are doing something with their appendages._"

"_I see,_" Kyle/Centipede Undead nodded. "_Thank you, great one._"

"_You flatter me,_" the centipede replied. "_I wish you luck on your journey._"

Nodding again, Kyle/Centipede Undead turned back to his team and Kabuto. He knew it was a dumb move to try and test that with a spy watching, but this way Kyle could control what Kabuto saw. All he knew was that he could talk to centipedes and he didn't know what the other animals that made up the deck of Rouze Cards.

Still, the giant centipede had given Kyle a hint of the events to come. It seemed some Ame-nins were planning a trap. If what he thought was true, they were beginning their little genjutsu trap from the manga. Since he was in an Undead form, he would probably be able to see through it. That would end the only edge those three had would be ruined. Besides, if it was the same team that the one Ame-nin from before, then it might be even easier than before.

Looking to his comrades, Kyle/Centipede Undead saw the intrigued and/or surprised looks on their faces.

"_What?_" Kyle/Centipede Undead asked with some sarcastic confusion.

"You were talking to that bug!" Naruto cried. "What did it say, what did it say?!"

"_We're not alone,_" Kyle/Centipede Undead answered. Stepping closer, he tried to keep his voice low. "_Some Ame-nins are nearby. They're casting a jutsu. Since we aren't being attacked, I'm assuming it's a genjutsu of some kind._"

"Okay," Kabuto frowned. "We have to keep an eye out. Anything that might look odd is suspect. Keep sharp. If we can get a place to fight, we use the Kai technique."

"Agreed," Sasuke nodded. Sakura nodded rapidly alongside Naruto.

"_You'll be the first to know,_" Kyle/Centipede Undead nodded.

Now keeping a very close eye on the world around them, Team 7 and Kabuto started going towards the tower. Nothing seemed to be out of place, but they did know that the three Ame-nins were out there. Kyle/Centipede Undead kept his eyes trained up in the sky. His eyes were trained on the tower, and so far no other signs of genjutsu were visible.

The group continued going on their trek. After a certain amount of traveling, Kyle/Centipede Undead caught his fellow Konoha-nins turning in a different direction. Narrowing his eyes, he called out to them.

"_Hey,_" he called. "_Where are you going?_"

"Huh?" Sakura blinked. She pointed out in the direction that they were going. "We're heading to the tower. That's where we're going."

Looking up, Kyle/Centipede Undead saw a mirage in the distance. It looked similar to the tower, but it was as blurry as hell and hard to see. Kyle/Centipede Undead recognized the signs. A definite genjutsu was being cast and his Undead sight was managing to see through it.

"_I think we found the genjutsu,_" Kyle/Centipede Undead frowned. "_Follow me. I can see through this one._"

"Huh?" Sasuke grunted. Frowning, he brought his hands together into a seal and unleashed a pulse of chakra. "Kai!"

The small pulse of chakra was enough to disrupt the illusion being cast. The illusionary tower quickly vanished, allowing the ninjas to see just where they were. Sasuke's grimace began to get deeper while Sakura gasped in shock. Naruto looked in all directions, trying to see what had changed. Kabuto remained stoic, but his hand was reaching to his pouch.

"_Told you so,_" Kyle/Centipede Undead chuckled. "_Although, I'm pretty sure they know we figured them out._"

"Be ready," Kabuto warned as he looked around for some kind of attack.

He didn't have to wait long. All around the small group, the forest became alive as ninjas wearing black outfits and Ame hitae-ate rose out of the trees and dirt. The group was quickly finding themselves surrounded on all sides.

"Oh man," Sakura gulped, gripping a kunai.

"Heh, I work best with a handicap," Naruto grinned with his usual bravado.

"_Think we can fight our way out?_ Kyle/Centipede Undead asked curiously.

"Just try it, freak," one of the many Ame-nins grunted. "We'll cut you down."

"There's no way these are all real," Sasuke frowned. "They have to be bunshin of some kind. There's no other way."

"_Well, they could be enemy __Nins__ who sneaked in to help their teams cheat,_" Kyle/Centipede Undead chuckled.

"Not funny!" Sakura shrieked.

"_Wasn't supposed to be,_" Kyle/Centipede Undead retorted as he began a little trick he knew this Undead form had. "_Just being logical._"

"A good point," Kabuto agreed. "Ame may be one of the small villages, but they aren't in any kind of alliance with Konoha, so we really can't expect them not to try anything."

The collected Ame-nins didn't seem to take any kind of offense to the mark. They just continued to stare at their targets. Kyle/Centipede Undead knew that there were no real Ame-nins in sight. They were hiding, aiming to let their clones do the action, only letting themselves attack when it looked like one of their bunshin was going to hit a target. It wasn't a genjutsu, so the human turned Undead couldn't see through them so he wouldn't be able to tell where the attacks would come from.

"Just try and stop us, you creeps!" Naruto roared as he charged at the closest of the nins. Clenching his fist, he sent it into the gut of the ninja.

BLOORP!

Naruto turned pale as the **ninja's** chest seemed to explode into an inky mess. Almost in slow motion, the mess of ink split into two torsos of ninjas. One was still facing the other ninjas, but the other was fixing to stab Naruto in the back.

"_I don't think so!"_ Kyle/Centipede Undead shouted as he spat a neon blue mess out of his mouth. The glob flew through the air and hit the first torso in the head. There was a hissing noise before the glob burned through the first head and hit the second from behind. The body slumped as the heads melted into another mess. The glob then lost velocity and hit the dirt, melting into the soil and killing all it touched.

"_Go Naruto!_" Kyle/Centipede Undead roared.

"Alright, Kyle-nii!" shouted Naruto as he went into a series of familiar hand seals. "_Kage Bunshin No Jutsu!_" After an explosion of smoke, a dozen Narutos now stood behind the original. "ATTACK!!!"

"OK, BOSS!" shouted the clones as they began their assault on the enemy clones.

Kyle/Centipede Undead clicked his teeth and flexed his fingers. This Undead had potent venom like the Scorpion Undead, but unlike that Undead which created mind-controlling venom, the Centipede could control what kind of poison its gland produced. It could be a fatal fever-inducing toxin, acid, or a potent paralysis agent. He knew he would probably have to kill in the Chuunin Exams, but he much rather avoid it unless necessary. Still, it would be fun to watch as one of the Ame-nins got melted by his acidic spit.

Still, the problem was trying to figure out where the Ame-nins creating these clones were coming from. The manga was never very clear about where they were hiding. Kyle/Centipede Undead only knew that they were hiding in the trees so they could get the best vantage point over the area.

"This has got to be a genjutsu," Sasuke frowned. He began pooling chakra into his eyes so to activate his Sharingan. His eyes activated for a moment, letting him see the chakra in the air, proving that none of the Ame-nins in front of them were real, but the sight was only there a moment before what felt like a boil filled with lava appeared on his shoulder.

"AGH!" he cried, shutting off the Sharingan and clutching his shoulder. His legs were shaky and he was getting some serious trouble with just standing.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura cried in shock.

Kyle/Centipede Undead turned to see the developing situation and cursed inwardly. He knew the Curse Seal devoured chakra and supercharged the user and in Sasuke's case, that made it much worse. Chakra was his greatest strength and weakness considering his eyes. An easy mark for the Curse Seal.

'_If Sasuke doesn't stop trying to use his eyes, that Curse Seal will activate!_' Kyle/Centipede Undead growled inwardly. '_This has to stop now!_"

"Kyle-nii!" Naruto's voice rang out.

"_Huh?_" Kyle/Centipede Undead grunted as he turned his attention back to the battle. Something black blurred into his sight before something cold and sharp dug into his neck.

"_Guck!_" Kyle/Centipede Undead gagged as a kunai lodged itself in his neck. Reaching to the metal implement, he felt the item was dug in moderately and had definitely cut something important.

The Ame-nin snickered, "Whatever you are, you're going to die now…"

Kyle/Centipede Undead took a second to remember that he was in the form of an Undead. The reason the Undead were called as such was because…because they were immortal. Kyle/Centipede Undead, instead of reacting in pain, started to laugh. It was either the Undead's own instincts or something deep inside him.

The Joker.

The challenge had been made. These progeny of the Human Undead wanted to fight. Kyle/Centipede Undead was feeling quite accommodating for that request. Hitting such a small point was something, but not for an Undead. Reaching to the handle, he began to tug at the weapon lodged in his neck.

"Don't!" Kabuto cried. "You'll die from the blood loss!"

Kyle/Centipede Undead didn't listen as he yanked the kunai out of his neck. A sick squelching noise was made as the weapon was pulled free from his flesh. He chocked for a moment as green blood ran down from the wound, but aside from the wound itself, Kyle/Centipede Undead didn't look like he was harmed at all.

"_That…was a mistake,_" Kyle/Centipede Undead chuckled as the wound slowly began to close.

"Kyle?" Sakura gasped, a little green at the sight of the blood flowing like it was.

"Kyle-nii?" Naruto blinked. The blonde Genin thought his heart had stopped when he saw that kunai lodge into his friend's neck, but seeing him still standing and actually healing was pretty weird. Still, he didn't have much room to talk since the Kyuubi healed his injuries just as quickly.

In their space, the real Ame-nins gaped at what they had just witnessed.

"I thought you hit him in the neck!" the one Ame-nin who was just sitting growled.

"I did!" the second hissed, holding several kunai in his hands. "It should have cut every major artery in his neck!"

"Well something's up since he isn't dead!" cried the third who was holding the technique which was helping them hide their attacks.

Glancing at the kunai, Kyle/Centipede Undead looked in the direction that it had flown in from. Chances were that the shock of seeing an opponent not die from an obviously fatal blow would have stunned them.

"_Let's see if I can catch the rain!_" Kyle/Centipede Undead roared as he began spitting globs of venom into the trees that were in the direction that the kunai had come from.

"Look out!" the first Ame-nin cried as he dodged a shot. His kunai-holding teammate likewise dodged a similar blow to save his own skin.

"AGH!" the jutsu-wielding member cried in pain as one glob managed to hit him in the face. Having been using the jutsus for so long in a crouching position and not moving because of the risk of disrupting the jutsu, his legs had stiffened on him. This allowed one of the shots to get him.

Screaming in pain, the Ame-nin dropped through the branches and onto the dirt. He was rolling and throwing off his breathing equipment in attempt to get the burning sensation away. Sadly, his body was beginning to stiffen as he attempted to get the venom away from his skin.

"_Oooh, lucky,_" Kyle/Centipede Undead laughed. "_You got the paralysis version. You'll live._" He then challenged, "_Who else wants to suffer? Come on and get me you Ame-losers!_"

Sakura shivered as she heard the voice coming from the Centipede Undead. It sounded like Kyle's, but more warped. He said that he took on the abilities of the Undead whose form he took on, but wouldn't that also mean he took on their personalities?

More kunai flew down from another tree and pierced Kyle/Centipede Undead's back with more fleshy thunks. There wasn't a cry of pain or any indication that he was feeling pain. Turning to face the direction of the attack, Kyle/Centipede Undead drew a long chain from behind his back.

"_Time to rope in some losers!_" the changed human roared as he hurled the chain into the trees.

Sakura only watched in mounting horror at what was happening. It was like Kyle was losing himself in battle lust. It was exactly like when Orochimaru first appeared. He was going berserk! At first, she pondered if the Ame-nins were giving off killing intent, but she couldn't feel any of it. She wracked her barely functioning brain for an answer, but it quickly came to her.

"He's changed too many times!" she gasped. "He can't hold back the influence anymore!"

"Huh?" asked one of the Naruto clones.

"What do you mean?" asked Kabuto.

"Kyle takes the form of Undead like this often, but he's never done it more than a few times," Sakura explained. "I bet anything that when he takes their forms and abilities, he gets their minds as well. The only thing is that the Undead mind is subdued or something. But since he's changed so many times, he's getting exhausted and can't suppress them anymore!"

"So Kyle-nii's thinking like an Undead!?" Naruto cried out. "We gotta stop him!"

Laughing, Kyle/Centipede Undead managed to grab hold of one of the Ame-nins with his chain. "_Gotcha!_" Yanking the chain, he pulled the unlucky Ame-nin towards him and grabbed the ninja by the throat. "_Now, for another variety…_" Kyle/Centipede Undead spat a glob of venom into the ninja's face.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" the ninja screamed as his skin started to boil. Kyle/Centipede Undead released the ninja and watched in sadistic satisfaction as the ninja's face was being burnt off by the flesh-eating acidic venom. He had so many other types of venom in his arsenal. He couldn't wait to try them all.

Naruto's eyes went wide in horror and then he could see a green outline of chakra surrounding Kyle's Undead body. It looked humanoid but hanging from the back of its head was a pair of long antennae. Just what could it be?

As the Ame-nin furiously tried to get the venom off his face, Kyle/Centipede Undead turned to face the last of the trio. The last Ame-nin was trembling against the tree he had landed on. Seeing his teammates being taken down by that…thing, was wreaking havoc on his nerves.

"_And then there was one,_" Kyle/Centipede Undead chuckled. His voice sounded completely warped. There was a very minimal trace of his old voice left, but even that was quickly vanishing.

"Stop it, Kyle-nii!" Naruto cried. Since the bunshins had been dispelled by the elimination of the first Ame-nin, the only clones left were all Naruto's. Using them all, the clones began dog piling on the increasingly feral Centipede Undead.

"_Grah!_" Kyle/Centipede Undead cried as the sudden weight forced him to the ground. His face was planted into the dirt so he couldn't fire anymore venom at anyone.

"Get the Spirit card!" one of the clone cried.

"I got it!" another shouted.

Reaching to the Undead's side, the Naruto clone grabbed the case which was attached to the metal belt. Managing to open it despite the struggles of the obviously powerful creature underneath him and the clones, he grabbed a handful of cards that were residing inside the case.

"Got some!" the clone cried. "Turn him over!"

The process of actually turning the struggling man/Undead was harder than pinning him down. His limbs were flailing and all the appendages were making it hard to turn him over. Harder still, once his face was free, he began shooting venom.

"Take cover!" Sasuke cried as he, Sakura, and Kabuto took hiding places to avid getting hit. Normally they might have helped, but Naruto knew Kyle best and had the ability to mob him and keep him down.

"Hurry! Use the card!" one of the clones cried out.

"We can't hold him forever!" shouted another.

"I'm looking! I'm looking!" the Naruto holding the cards shouted as he flipped through the cards. "Reflect, Vine, Chop, got it! Spirit!"

Leaping over to the mass of Narutos and single Undead, they cleared some room around the waist. Naruto easily spotted the Rouzer belt that Kyle used to change. Still, it wasn't the red color that he remembered. It had turned a bright green color instead. Disregarding the information, Naruto placed the card in the slit in the middle of the buckle and slashed it through.

"**Spirit!**" the Rouzer called as the Centipede Undead's body was engulfed in the black energy. The clones felt the mass they were dog piling shrink before the energy vanished.

"Kyle-nii!" Naruto cried as he dispelled the clones in a blast of smoke. Seeing his friend lying on the ground with his eyes closed and not moving made his heart clench. "Kyle-nii! Talk to me!"

Kyle groaned as he massaged his head. The pain was throbbing through his brain and it felt like he had been mauled by a wild animal. Opening his eyes, despite the feeling of sandpaper filling them, he saw the concerned face of Naruto looming over.

"Hey," Kyle grinned. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Naruto grinned in utter relief. "You were going nuts there for a minute."

"It's a blur to me," Kyle sighed as he attempted to stand. "After that kunai hit my neck, I sort of blacked out."

"Kyle!" Sakura's voice cried.

Turning to the source of the noise, Kyle saw the rest of his team and Kabuto coming to meet up with them.

"So, can anybody tell me what happened?" asked Kyle.

"You went out of control," informed Kabuto. "Like a berserker. You were attacking the Ame-nin mercilessly."

Kyle looked to the body of one of the Ame-nins. He turned green and swallowed some bile as he saw the ninja's face had been eaten away by the acid, leaving a skull face staring blankly. "Oh, god!" Kyle looked absolutely sick and horrified. "What have I done?"

"A ninja has to kill when they have to," said Sasuke coolly. "Just get over it."

"Hey, Sasuke!" snapped Naruto. "Don't talk like that."

"No, it's okay," said Kyle as he got back to his feet. His legs felt like noodles, but he would have to get used to it. "Sooner or later I have to kill. I just have to get used to it. I also have to try not to change so many times in a day."

"Oh, here you go," said Naruto as he returned the Heart Rouze cards to Kyle.

"Thank you," Kyle nodded as he slid them into his card case.

"There was this green aura around you," said Kabuto, fixing his gaze on Kyle. "What was that?"

"Nothing you need to know," responded Kyle calmly. Even Kyle didn't know but he could sense a bit of the Joker's energy running through his veins. The Ace and Two of Hearts may have kept the Joker's instincts sealed, but he had still called up a portion of its power anyway. In the past, Kyle would have relied on his Chalice form and the other Undead for battle, but this revelation just proved he couldn't do that. It was Rider Armor unless it was an emergency.

"You guys are freaks!" a voice cried out. The five ninjas turned to see the remaining Ame-nin trembling against the trunk of a tree behind them. He was scrambling with something in his pouch, he tossed several scrolls out. Once he got rid of them all, he began running. "Take them all! Just go away!"

Walking over to the scrolls, Kabuto picked up a few of them. He smiled before holding up an Earth Scroll, "What did I tell you? Scroll hunters! He's got a couple of them here."

Kyle, even in his addled mind, felt the confusion. He was sure that the Ame-nins would only have a Heaven Scroll on them. The manga never revealed that they had more than that, but then again, it was necessary for the plot. Still, Kabuto may have switched the Heaven Scroll for an Earth one. There was no doubt that he would be a scroll hunter himself.

"All right!" Naruto cheered. "We are so passing this thing!"

"We won't if you keep shouting we have both scrolls dobe," Sasuke sighed. "Now let's get going."

"Right!" Sakura nodded energetically. She turned a concerned eye over to her fourth teammate. "Are you okay Kyle?"

"I'll be fine," Kyle nodded. Grabbing the Garren Buckle, he gripped it for a bit of security. He would need it if the group began leaping through trees again. "Just let me catch a breath."

"No time for that," Kabuto frowned. "We may have some days left, but the teams around here will be keeping a microscopic eye on everything. If we don't move now, we get higher chances of being caught like we did by that Ame team."

"Right!" Naruto nodded. "Let's get moving then!"

"Agreed," Sasuke nodded, snatching the Earth Scroll from Kabuto. "Let's get moving."

"Here we go again," Kyle sighed as he slipped the Ace of Diamonds into the buckle. Placing it on his waist, he let the belt wrap around him. Reaching to the handle, he gave it a yank. "Henshin."

"**Turn Up!"**

Passing through the transformation field, Kyle emerged as Garren. Flexing his arms, he felt the fatigue from before. Thankfully, he didn't feel like it was going to affect his performance too badly.

"Okay," Garren nodded. "I'm ready."

Nodding, the other ninjas began heading towards the tower again.

As they were moving, Garren was reflecting how things were going. He may have managed to keep the Curse Seal from activating, but had managed to risk himself going berserk in the process. Again, Garren's wish to manipulate things from behind had been ruined. He had placed himself right in the middle of the action. Sadly, his one advantage over Orochimaru was that he knew how things were going to turn out. While that was still true, Orochimaru would learn about his Rider Systems and the Undead, minimizing the only advantage he had. That particular advantage was quickly getting smaller every time Kabuto saw him change.

It didn't take too long for the group to reach the Tower. Walking onto the stone path which surrounded it, they all took a deep breath of relief. As they tried to collect themselves again, a rustling noise caught their attention, signaling the arrival of two more ninjas. They were both wearing outfits similar to Kabuto, but they were both wearing a black veil which covered most of their faces. Only their eyes were visible. One had dark lenses over his eyes while the other wore glasses. Both were wearing Konoha hitae-ate. Garren wasn't fooled though; they were also agents of Orochimaru. If Garren recalled properly, they were Yoroi Akado and Misumi Tsurugi.

"You're late Kabuto," Yoroi frowned.

"Sorry about that," Kabuto shrugged. "We ran into some trouble."

"Who's the weirdo in the armor?" Tsurugi asked suspiciously.

"Garren," the diamond Rider answered. He remained still, but he was ready to go for his gun if something fishy happened.

"He and his team helped me get here," Kabuto explained. He lifted up his Heaven and Earth scrolls. "Still got the scrolls too."

"Good," Yoroi nodded. "Then let's get going."

"Okay," Kabuto nodded. He then turned to Team Seven with his usual smile. "Thanks for the help. It got a little freaky for a while, but I owe you guys one."

"No problem!" Naruto grinned. "Let's meet up in the next test!"

"Sure," Kabuto nodded. "Good luck to you."

With a wave, Team Seven broke the seal on one of the entrances into the tower and entered. Garren gave a lingering look at the team behind him and reluctantly entered. As the door closed behind them, the Kabuto and his teammates seemed to change a little. It was like a darker aura of malice had entered the area and they fit right in with it.

"So how was the harvest?" a familiar sinister voice asked from the side of the tower.

"Exceeded expectations," Kabuto grinned as he turned to face the wielder of the voice. Reaching to his pouch, he pulled out one of his skill cards. "I have all the information on the second exam on this one."

Holding out the card, the owner of the voice reached out a pale hand and took it. As he came out of the shadows, the owner of the voice was revealed to be none other than Orochimaru himself.

"Good," Orochimaru smirked. "So, how was it?"

"Hmm, so you really are interested, Orochimaru-sama," Kabuto smirked.

"Just want to hear your opinion," Orochimaru shrugged. He seemed completely indifferent to the situation, but one didn't become a Sannin by being complacent. "However, the Rider is rather interesting at the moment."

"I agree to that point," Kabuto nodded. "All information regarding him is on the card as well. Still…I believe that he is suspicious."

"Oh?" Orochimaru smirked. "What makes you think so?"

"Whenever I came on the scene, even when we first met, he was always guarded," Kabuto explained. "Either he's got good instincts, or he knows something."

"Hmm…now that is interesting," Orochimaru smirked. "Maybe I should have marked him when I had the chance. Oh well, there's time enough."

"I'm sure," Kabuto nodded. "So, what now?"

"Just keep gathering intelligence," Orochimaru ordered before he vanished into a puff of smoke.

"As you wish, Orochimaru-sama," Kabuto nodded. He then gestured to his teammates before they entered a different door that was still sealed.

* * *

Back with Team 7, they had gone through the doors they entered through and were in the middle of a large empty room. The only ways out were some stairs at the side of the room, but at the other end of the room was a large framed picture. Instead of a portrait though, a poem was written on the paper inside of it.

"No one's here," Naruto blinked as he looked in all directions.

"No kidding," Sasuke frowned.

"What's that?" asked Sakura as she pointed at the poem on the wall.

"Looks like a poem of some kind," Garren answered as he stepped closer to read the words. "Some words are missing. I think this might be a clue."

"Hmm," Sasuke frowned as he read through the words of the poem. "It mentions Heaven and Earth. I think this is where we are supposed to open the scrolls."

"Got it!" Naruto nodded as he revealed the pair. Handing the Heaven Scroll to Sakura, Naruto held the Earth Scroll in his own hands. Both ninjas gripped the edges of the scrolls and tugged.

The scrolls unfurled quickly and all four ninjas looked at the contents. What they found themselves looking at were a pair of seals. Garren was no expert at sealing, but he knew what these seals were supposed to do. These seals were supposed to summon an examiner to meet the applicants. If he appeared anywhere else besides the inside of the tower, he would knock out the applicants so that they would be unable to finish the exam.

"They're part of a summoning jutsu!" Sasuke suddenly shouted. "Throw them away!"

Naruto and Sakura both blinked in shock, but when the scrolls started to smoke, they obeyed. Quickly tossing the scrolls away, they prepared themselves for another challenge. Even Garren, despite knowing what was happening, had his hand on his gun. His nerves were frayed after everything that had happened and his battle instincts and adrenaline were going on automatic. Reading about the Chunin exams was a lot different from experiencing them.

The smoke continued to billow until it looked like it would engulf the room. When it got to that point, the hissing noise that the scrolls were giving off finally stopped. The smoke was thick, but it was just as quick to dissipate as it did to appear. Of course, as the smoke cleared, a figure could be seen in the middle of it all. As the smoke finally began to clear, the mouths of Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura began to drop.

"No way," Sakura gaped.

"You…you're…," Naruto sputtered.

Standing in front of the four ninjas was a Chunin that they all recognized. Three had learned from him while one of those three knew him personally. The fourth only knew him from pictures and stories the orange-clad ninja would tell. The Chunin in front of them was a teacher in the academy and had been victimized by Naruto's notorious _Orioke no Jutsu_.

This was Iruka Umino.

"Hey," Iruka waved with a friendly smile. "It's been a while."

"What…what's going on!?" Sakura cried. "What is this?"

"Whew, you guys look a little worse for wear," Iruka chuckled, apparently unconcerned about the ninjas shock and confusion.

"But…but…why were you summoned Iruka-sensei?!" Naruto gaped.

"Why wouldn't I be?" asked Iruka. "When examinees get through this exam, a Chuunin is sent to greet the team. I was the one who was picked out to meet you guys. So I'm here to say congratulations. You guys just passed the second exam."

Garren heaved a sigh of relief and let his shoulders slump. He knew that the exam was over, but to hear it officially was a huge weight off of his shoulders. His teammates were still stunned at the frank message of their passing.

"With two and a half days to spare too," Iruka grinned. "Normally I'd get you guys a bowl of ramen to celebrate, but…"

"WE DID IT!!"

Iruka then found himself with a bundle of excited blonde in his arms. Stepping back, he tried to keep his professional aura, but it was a little hard, "Come on, Naruto! At least let me finish!"

"I'M SO HAPPY!" Naruto cheered. "WE DID IT! WE DID IT! WE DID IT!"

"Where does he get the energy from?" Sasuke sighed irritably.

Garren shook his head and pulled the handle on his buckle, revealing the Ace of Diamonds. Pulling the card out, the energy field passed over him and stripped the armor off. Sighing, he pocketed both items as Iruka watched in surprise.

"Man, it's a good thing we didn't open those scrolls," Kyle chuckled. "Otherwise we'd have to deal with you kicking our butts, wouldn't we?"

"Right," Iruka nodded. "This exam was set up to test the applicants' ability to follow orders. If they were to break those orders, the Chunin summoned would have to render them unconscious until the exam was over. In other words: instant failure."

"Oh man!" Naruto shivered. "Good thing we didn't open those scrolls!"

"Yeah," Sakura sighed as she dropped to her knees. Inner Sakura was ranting over how lucky they were not to screw up. Looking over to Iruka, she weakly raised her hand. "Iruka-sensei, just what is the deal about the words on the wall?"

"Well, that's part of the reason why I'm here," Iruka explained. "It's the motto of the Chunin, written by Hokage-sama himself."

"So what's it supposed to mean?" Naruto asked impatiently.

"Well, the mention of Heaven refers to the mind while Earth refers to the body," Iruka explained. "When it speaks of heaven, seek wisdom, be prepared, it means you lack knowledge. Kind of like Naruto's weak point is his brain, it means you have to gain knowledge."

"Hey!" Naruto huffed.

"Relax," Kyle laughed, patting Naruto's head. "He doesn't mean anything by it."

"Along that vein, if you lack earth. Run in fields, seek advantages, it means seek strength," Iruka continued. "Like Sakura's stamina, it means train harder."

"Hehe," Sakura blushed embarrassedly.

"Finishing up, if you have both heaven and earth, all missions can be accomplished safely and easily," Iruka finished. "Remember though, Chunin are like military captains. They are the ones in charge of teams. This exam was to test the qualities needed to become Chunin. All these qualities are needed to become Chunin. I want you all to remember this motto as you continue in these tests."

"You got it!" Naruto grinned.

Iruka nodded, but his face started to look a little grimmer. Looking to his former students and their teammate, he decided to start speaking again, "About the third exam…don't push yourselves too hard. Especially you Naru-"

"I'm not a kid anymore," Naruto frowned. Reaching up, he tapped his hitae-ate. "The moment I received this headband, I was no longer an academy student! This is a sign of my adulthood. I may not have changed too much, but I am not a kid! I…am a ninja!"

Iruka, Sasuke, and Sakura were shocked o hear such a mature speech coming from their blonde teammate. Kyle just smiled and crossed his arms. He had been expecting this little speech. Iruka was a real important figure in Naruto's life, just as much as Naruto was in his. Of course the Chunin would be concerned. Still, Iruka had to realize wasn't the same as he was in the academy. He would have to learn to let go.

"You're right," Iruka sighed. "Sorry about that. Well, there are rooms waiting for you guys where you can recover a little. When the exam is over, we'll continue on to the next exam."

"All right! Let's go!" Naruto cheered.

With that Iruka pointed out an exit. Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura were already halfway there in the blink of an eye. Shaking his head, Kyle waited until they were out of earshot. When he was sure, he turned to face Iruka.

"I need to talk to Kakashi, maybe even the Hokage," Kyle spoke swiftly. "Something happened in the Forest of Death that wasn't part of the exam."

"Orochimaru," Iruka nodded grimly. "We already know he's here."

"Good," Kyle nodded. "What you don't know is that he marked Sasuke with a seal."

"What?!" Iruka hissed. "Are you sure?"

"Saw him make it," Kyle confirmed. "It hasn't activated yet, but if Sasuke continues in the exam without getting it checked, I'm afraid of what might happen."

"For good reason," Iruka sighed. "Okay, I'll let Hokage-sama and Kakashi know. Thank-you for informing us about this."

"Gladly," Kyle nodded. "Just make sure the kid gets help. Seals from that snake whackjob mixed with Sasuke's history wouldn't be healthy."

"HEY, KYLE-NII! COME ON!" Naruto shouted.

"I'm coming!" Kyle answered. Giving a final nod to Iruka, he jogged over to meet up with the rest of his team.

Iruka watched them go before sighing sadly. If it wasn't one thing it was the other. Having an S-class criminal hiding out in Konoha was the last thing he needed to hear. Hearing he had attacked his students was that much worse. Still, at least Kyle was taking steps to make sure nothing bad happened to them. Making a handseal, Iruka vanished into a puff of smoke.

* * *

As Team 7 was finally able to relax, the lone Rider was looking through his deck of cards. The Undead on their own were dangerous if they were unsealed without any control over them, but even more dangerous if used by the Joker. Each time he used the cards to transform into one of the Undead, he felt a piece of them was still inside him. He stared at his hand. Was the blood running through his veins still red or had it turned green? He never checked himself to see or maybe he didn't want to. He wanted to hold on to the fact that he was still human.

"Hey, Kyle-nii, catch!" said Naruto as he tossed a can of soda to his teammates hand. "Drink up. It's called Ninja Dew. Very refreshing."

Kyle stared at the can for a minute and popped it open before taking a sip. It was good. "Naruto, I want to thank you again for saving me from myself."

"Hey, it was nothing," said Naruto. "You would've done the same for me."

"I'm still grateful. You risked your life to save me when my Undead went out of control. You're a good friend."

Naruto gave the older boy a foxy grin and then peered at the deck in his hand. "Hey, Kyle, what are you up to?"

"Oh, just looking through the cards to see what combos I can use for the next part of the exam."

Interested, Sakura spoke up, "Say, Kyle, the Rouzers can use cards from the other suits, right?"

"Yeah," Kyle nodded. "They can."

"So, why don't you try mixing cards from different suits for new combos?" suggested Sakura. "I've only seen you used combos using cards from the same suit, but if your Rouzers can use the other cards, what's stopping you from making mixed combos?"

Kyle blinked and then broke out in a smile, "Sakura, you're a genius!"

Sakura beamed under the compliment. Kyle had completely forgotten that he could use the Rouze Cards in different combinations. If he kept that in mind, then he had tons of combinations at his beck and call. The potential was immense. While Kyle was in his euphoric haze, Sasuke had decided to voice a question he had.

"Hey, Kyle," said Sasuke.

"Hm?" Kyle responded.

"That green aura, was that the Joker power you were telling us about?"

"I don't remember much, I told you," said Kyle, avoiding the subject. He didn't want to think the Joker was taking over but it had been close.

* * *

About two and a half days later, all the applicants who passed the second exam were collected in a large room that had a statue of two hands doing a hand seal with large wooden panels on the wall behind it. In front of the statue were the examiners, the Hokage himself, and the Jounin instructors of all the teams. Those included were Kakashi, Kurenai, Gai, the chain smoking Asuma, the partially mummified Baki, and an Oto Jounin who bore a striking resemblance to Orochimaru.

Looking around him, Kyle saw that the expected teams had passed. That involved Team Gai, the Rookie Nine, Team Suna, and Team Kabuto. It wasn't too much of a surprise for Kyle. He had been expecting this to happen so at least things were still on track. Looking to the front again, he saw Anko step forward.

"Okay!" the excitable Jounin spoke up. "First off, congratulations on passing the second exam!"

The Jounin were all whispering to each other and Gai looked like he was getting angry over something when Kakashi looked at him in confusion. Some of the Genin were likewise looking excited and thinking to themselves. Ino was obviously close to glomping Sasuke while Hinata had a faint smile on her face as she saw Naruto had passed. Gaara looked unscathed as did his siblings. A faint whimper alerted him to the fact that Akamaru was afraid of Gaara's presence. Since Kyle was near the back, he really couldn't see the dog himself. Although, the slightly concerned look on Kurenai's face told the young man that she had seen the worried dog as well.

"All right!" Anko called out again. "Hokage-sama is going to speak with you all so listen up!"

Sarutobi then stepped forward and coughed slightly to ready himself for a speech. Kyle just began to tune the old man out at this point. He knew the speech was about the real reason behind the Chunin exams. Basically, aside from promoting Genin to Chunin, the exams were an opportunity for the countries involved to show off their power. If you showed yourself off well, your home village would be able to reel in more clients.

Kyle was only interested to know who he would be fighting. He wanted to test out the new combos he had and already knew which Rider Form to use. Sakura's suggestion had made him plan for all his future matches. He also knew which Rider would be appropriate for each fight if he guessed who his opponent might be. He would surprise the Shinobi from the other countries as well the true power of a Kamen Rider.

"Now," Sarutobi continued, wrapping up his speech. "I would like to explain the third test…"

"Actually -cough, cough-," a voice coughed before there was a puff of smoke erupted between the Hokage and the applicants. "As referee, would you permit me to explain?"

"Of course," Sarutobi nodded. "The floor is yours."

"Thank-you," the voice spoke as the smoke cleared. The person within the smoke was revealed to be a pale man with bags underneath his eyes. For an examiner, he didn't look like he was the picture of health. "Hello. I am Gekkou Hayate."

Kyle blinked at the ninja's appearance. He really didn't look too well. The manga had nothing on the real thing. Hayate looked like a strong breeze would be all that was needed to take him down. Of course, the truth was just the opposite. Hayate was an accomplished fighter and obviously didn't have too much of a problem with his health as his appearance suggested.

"Before the third test begins though," Hayate spoke. "There's something that we will have to do, and that is a preliminary for the third exam. It will decide who will be able to partake in the third exam."

"Huh?" Sakura blinked in confusion. She wasn't alone in that declaration either. "But…why can't everyone here take part in the third test?"

"-cough, cough- Simple," Hayate replied. "The first and second tests were too easy. We have too many applicants. According to the rules, we have to hold a preliminary so to reduce the numbers. Remember, there will be many important guests at the third tests and fights may last long."

Kyle nodded at the logic in Hayate's argument. This wasn't his old world where the officials had a lot of time on their hands and things were relatively peaceful. War was always a threat and there were all sorts of things that could be the spark which set it off. The daimyos and their officials had to keep an eye on everything lest they miss that spark. They can't spend all their time in their castles or watching ninjas beat the crap out of each other.

"That being said," Hayate coughed. "Any of those who feel they are not up to this medically or after these explanations please step forward. We will then begin the preliminaries."

"What?! Right now?" Kiba cried out in shock.

"We are on a schedule," Kyle shrugged. "It stands to reason that they want to get this over as soon as possible."

Despite saying this, Kyle kept his eyes on the Oto-Jounin that was watching the group. After Hayate offered a way out, he smirked slightly. Kyle instantly knew that this was Orochimaru's signal to Kabuto. He remembered it from the manga, and sure enough, Kabuto's hand was in the air.

"I'd like to withdraw," he spoke plainly.

"Huh?" Naruto blinked. "But Kabuto! Why are you quitting?!"

"Sorry Naruto," Kabuto sighed. "But I've been having trouble hearing out of my ear since before the first exam. I also ran into some enemies before I met up with your team. If I have to keep fighting for much longer, I'm going to drop."

Naruto frowned and looked down in disappointment. As the Hokage silently conversed with the examiners, Kyle resisted the urge to frown. He knew that any injury that Kabuto might have suffered from any part of the exams had long since healed. With his ability to stimulate his cells regenerative abilities, he could recover from almost anything. He was backing out since Orochimaru didn't need him to spy anymore. He could do it himself while pretending to be the Oto-Jounin for the Oto team.

"Ummm, you're Kabuto Yakushi from Konoha, right? If you're sure then you can leave," Hayate nodded after a brief look at a booklet he had been carrying. Looking up to the other applicants, he spoke, "Is there anyone else who would like to retire? It should be known that these fights will be individual so your teammates will continue regardless."

No one raised their hands and it was a silent acceptance of continuing on. Kabuto turned and headed to leave, only to be stopped by Yoroi for a moment. They spoke softly to each other, but no one could hear them. Kyle considered stepping down as well, hopefully to keep an eye on Kabuto and nail him when he tried to take down Sasuke after the preliminaries. He quickly squashed that idea, remembering that Kabuto virtually vanished until his attempted assassination on Sasuke. Kyle knew that he was better off taking part in the exams since that was where all the action was.

"Okay," Hayate continued. "Since we have 21 applicants, one of you will automatically pass to the third exam. Each of you will be randomly paired up with someone else and you will fight. You will continue until one of you forfeits, is knocked unconscious, or dies. Other than that, anything goes."

"How do we know who passes to the third exam without fighting?" asked Tenten from her position.

"The only person who doesn't fight," Hayate answered. "Now, the board behind me will be the one selecting who fights first. If your name is called then remain down here. The rest of you will relocate to the stands."

A screen in question appeared from behind a wooden panel that resided by the stature in the room. As it quickly came to life, the collected applicants' eyes turned to it. Kyle himself felt the muscles in his heart clench as he waited to see who he was fighting. While there were a few people in the room he wanted to fight, he would have preferred to avoid fighting his friends, especially Naruto. He was also wary of fighting Gaara. His Joker powers might react to the Shukaku and threaten his control again. Others like Kabuto's team, the Oto team, or Gaara's siblings would be okay. Heck, he had even been wondering how a match between himself and Neji would go. Undead didn't have chakra points after all.

After a moment of waiting, two names popped up onto the screen

SASUKE UCHIHA VS. YOROI AKADO

"Okay, will the applicants come forward?" Hayate asked. "Everyone else please head up to the balcony."

The remaining applicants all took the order and headed up the metal stairs to the stands. Kyle kept his eye trained on the impending fight the whole time. Gai, Kurenai, Kakashi, and Asuma joined their students. The Oto-Jounin had met up with his team and Baki, Team Suna's teacher, had joined his own students.

"Are both of you ready to begin?" Hayate asked as Sasuke and Yoroi faced off against each other.

"Yes," Sasuke nodded.

"Yeah," Yoroi nodded.

"Then, begin!" Hayate called as he signaled for the fight to begin. He then immediately backed away from the two so to allow them good enough space to fight.

Kyle was with Naruto and Sakura, watching the fight. He knew fully well how this would go down but with his presence things were going to go differently. Opponents may be switched around and maybe Kyle would advance without having to fight, but what were the odds of that?

Deciding to zone out, Kyle turned his thoughts to what had happened so far. First he had gone berserk in his Chalice form and then he almost tipped off the deep end with Joker powers. Why was it all happening now? Was it the Joker's consciousness trying to tell him something? That it was waking up? That it was going to take over? Kyle had to make sure to keep all his Heart cards close to him. He couldn't risk a relapse and lose control, especially now.

"_Shi Shi Rendan!_ (Lion Barrage.)" Sasuke cried as he unleashed a devastating combo onto Yoroi. The sounds snapped Kyle back to reality as he saw Hayate step out and declare Sasuke the winner.

The last Uchiha was about to return to the stands when Kakashi appeared next to him in a swirl of leaves. They muttered a few words to each other before heading off behind the medic-nins that were carting Yoroi away.

"Hey, where's Sasuke going with Kakashi-sensei?" asked Naruto.

"Probably getting that demonic hickey taken care of," Kyle answered.

Turning to the collected Chuunin in the room, Kyle was happy to note that the Oto-Chunin was looking displeased about something. He was probably wondering why the seal hadn't started working. Since it hadn't activated, it didn't get the chance to spread. Still, Kyle knew the sooner he got that thing sealed the better. And Orochimaru was going to be heading for where Kakashi was doing the sealing.

"I gotta go the bathroom for a sec," Kyle reported to his teammates. "Keep an eye on things for me."

"But what if you're called?" asked Sakura worriedly.

"Not likely at this point," Kyle shrugged.

With his point made, Kyle started heading for one of the ways out. He had to catch up with Kakashi before Orochimaru did. Maybe he could get a hold on the situation and keep Orochimaru from forcing his seal to activate.

Turning a corner, he slipped one of his cards out of his pocket. Gemini Zebra. Kyle knew he was taking a risk by changing into an Undead, but he didn't have a choice at the moment. He couldn't be in two places at once otherwise.

"**Gemini!**" the Rouzer called before Kyle's body was covered in a shifting aura.

He came out of it looking like a humanoid zebra with minimal armor on. Metal gear was adorned on his horse-like face and he was wearing black leather pants. Of all the Undead, the Zebra Undead was the one Kyle felt that the creators didn't put a lot of effort into creating. Still, it had a good power and one he was going to put to use.

Concentrating, Kyle/Zebra Undead projected a body image that looked like it was made from a bad television reception. After a few moments, the image solidified into an exact copy of Kyle/Zebra Undead.

"_I'll follow Kakashi,_" the copy nodded before he drew his own copy of the Two of Hearts. The real Kyle/Zebra Undead did the same.

"**Spirit!**" both Rouzers called before two versions of Kyle appeared. Nodding to each other, one returned to the fights while the other went in the direction of Kakashi and Sasuke.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Kyle returned to the area where the preliminaries were being held. Orochimaru was gone, assumedly to go browbeat Kakashi and show off to Sasuke a little more. Of course, Kyle wasn't sure if Sasuke was conscious or not

Pondering the thought, he met up with the rest of his team. Looking down at the fighting arena, he spotted Zaku being carried off with one of his arms missing while Shino was calmly walking back to where the other examinees were waiting.

"What did I miss?" Kyle asked as he met up with Sakura and Naruto.

"That Shino guy did something to that Oto-nin's arms," Sakura explained. "He can control bugs and I think he crammed them into the holes in the other ninja's palms. He tried to do that air wave attack and both his arms exploded."

"It was freaky," Naruto gulped.

"Oh come on," Kyle snickered. "I've become scarier on occasion."

Naruto and Sakura looked to each other and then up to their older teammate. As much as they wanted to argue, Kyle was right. Turning into rampaging undying monsters was way creepier than some guy who housed bugs inside of his body. It was even scarier when Kyle's Joker powers were beginning to break free.

As Team 7 continued conversing, there was a flash of movement behind them. Quickly turning to face the movement, they found themselves looking back into the face of their cycloptic Jounin instructor.

"Yo," Kakashi waved as he rejoined his team.

"What do you mean 'yo'?" Sakura asked impatiently. Her voice was mixed with concern. "Is Sasuke okay?"

"He's resting," Kakashi answered simply.

'_Probably being guarded by the ANBU too,_' Kyle added with thought. As he turned to face the front again, he felt Kakashi grip his shoulder. Turning slightly, the one-eyed Jounin leaned in close to his ear.

"I want to talk to you about that stunt with the clone," Kakashi whispered. "After all this is said and done."

"Roger," Kyle sighed. Unlike the Kage Bunshin, Kyle didn't get the memories of the clones he made when they were dispelled. His clone must have picked a fight with Orochimaru when he and Kakashi faced off.

"-cough, we'll begin the next match," Hayate spoke up.

Kyle looked up at the front window. He knew he was lucky that his name hadn't been called yet, but he wasn't feeling excited. His chances of getting picked were pretty low. After all, the other matches were practically destined.

KYLE JONES VS. TSURUGI MISUMI

"Oh crap," Kyle gulped.

"Ha! Show that guy what you can do!" Naruto grinned to his friend.

Gulping again, Kyle headed for the stairs. Treading down them, he tried desperately not to throw up. He was no stranger to fighting, but he wasn't used to fighting with an audience. Stage fright was the only way he could describe the feeling in his gut. He watched the front and saw that all eyes of the examiners and the Hokage were on him and Tsurugi. Speaking of which, the Genin in question wasn't far behind him.

Kyle knew how Tsurugi fought. He had a special ability to loosen his joints and let his bones bend like rubber. It wasn't totally clear of it was a jutsu or a bloodline, but Orochimaru once mentioned in the manga that his and Yoroi's abilities were called Unholy Gifts. It led Kyle to believe that it was part of a physical treatment that Orochimaru gave the pair. Sadly, in the manga Kankuro had beaten Tsurugi before he could use any of his advanced techniques.

'_Maybe I'm lucky and he'll be dependant on those stretchy bones of his,_' Kyle thought hopefully to himself.

Kyle met up to where Hayate was waiting. Tsurugi stood opposite of Kyle, but the Rider didn't like the look in his eyes. Obviously Tsurugi was confident that he was going to win this match. Most likely because Kyle was out of his armor so he assumed it would be an easy victory.

'_Okay, just stay out of his reach Kyle,_' he sighed to himself. '_Otherwise you're screwed._'

"Are both of you –cough- ready?" Hayate asked the two fighters.

"Yeah," Tsurugi nodded. He was acting like the upcoming battle was a mere formality.

"Yes," Kyle gulped. His nervousness was growing. It was a feeling that he didn't like.

"Then…begin!" Hayate called, signaling the beginning of the match.

Kyle was the first to move as Hayate's arm came down. He dashed backwards to get himself some space from Tsurugi. The Oto spy wasn't idle either. He grabbed a kunai and was running at Kyle with a smirk in his eyes.

"Can't fight like ninja after all?" he mocked. "This is going to be easy!"

"Bite me sound slummie," Kyle growled as he brought out the Blade buckle in one hand while he held the Ace of Spades in his other hand. He slid the card into its chamber before bringing the buckle to hiss waist. The red belt slid out of the buckle before fastening itself to his waist.

"Time to lose!" Tsurugi cackled as he lunged at Kyle with his kunai, hoping to injure the fellow ninja and eliminate him from the competition.

"Henshin!" Kyle called before he pulled the handle on the belt, revealing the spade symbol.

"**Turn Up!**" the belt called out as it activated.

Tsurugi's eyes widened as a blue field depicting a rhino beetle ejected from the buckle and grew to the size of a large door. It collided with him, sending bolts of pain through his body before he was forcibly sent flying back. His cry of pain was sharp as he fell back onto the hard floor.

Grinning, Kyle dashed towards the field without hesitation. Hitting the blue field, he passed through it. However, he had emerged from it covered in the blue and silver armor of Kamen Rider Blade. Blade didn't stop his charge as he continued charging on towards Tsurugi while drawing his sword.

"Damn!" Tsurugi hissed before he brought up his kunai while getting to his feet again. He just managed to raise his weapon when Blade's weapon met against his kunai with a rain of sparks.

Blade didn't hesitate in his assault. He wanted to take Tsurugi down and he wanted it NOW! He slashed again and again at the secret Oto-nin, but Tsurugi's reflexes were sharp. He managed to meet every attack with his own kunai. It was proving pretty quick that Tsurugi wasn't as weak as Kankuro's performance had led him to believe in the manga.

Slashing again, Tsurugi blocked yet again with his kunai. This time, he grabbed Blade's arm with his free hand.

"I guess I'll have to use some of my tricks," Tsurugi snickered.

Tsurugi's arm quickly slithered around Blade's arm like a snake. Grimacing, he pulled back, but Tsurugi's arm was holding tightly, almost stretching like Blade had come to expect.

"Not getting out of this one," Tsurugi snickered.

In a whirl of motion, Tsurugi got behind Blade and captured his other arm with his remaining arm. He even managed to catch one of his legs with one of his own legs. Blade grunted and struggled in the grip of the bending ninja.

"Heh," Tsurugi snickered. "Impressed? It's a special trick I picked up. I can compress my body into any shape. I can also keep squeezing until I break your bones. Why don't you just make this easy and give up?"

"That's the funny thing about Riders," Blade snickered. "We are notoriously stubborn."

Blade then reached out to his sword so he could fan out his Spade cards. Tsurugi naturally but more pressure on his limbs, but the protection and strength boost that the Rider armor afforded the wearer was throwing a wrench into Tsurugi's calculations. It didn't mean that he wasn't putting more pressure on the Rider's limbs.

Blade remained undaunted as he managed to open the panels. He gripped the Category 4: Tackle Boar and pulled it out of its panel and brought it to his Rouzer. With some increasing effort, he managed to slash it through.

"**Tackle!**" the Rouzer called as the image of the card was brought into his chest.

Energy pulsed into Blade's limbs. Taking a running start, he dashed towards the walls surrounding then began to give off pulses of energy which indicated that the Tackle Boar was in effect.

"Running into a wall won't get me to stop!" Tsurugi shouted into Blade's ear.

"Watch me!" Blade retorted as he continued running.

Tsurugi was convinced the stupid assault would hurt Blade more than it would him. To that end, he just let Blade continue his charge at the wall. As Blade came closer to hitting the wall with some considerable force, he leaped for a flying tackle. However, where most flying tackles allowed enough space for the user to hit with their shoulder, Blade began his too early. As a result, his back was facing the wall when he made his impact.

"Guaaahh!" Tsurugi cried out in pain as his body smashed against the wall. Blood dripped to his mouth as he fell to the ground, his limbs unraveling from Blade while bits of the wall fell.

"Your bones may be tough to break," Blade grunted as he stood up "But your internal organs are still fair game!"

Tsurugi cursed under his breath as he got to his feet again. The Rider had a point with that one. Large impacts always dealt damage to organs no matter how flexible they were. Drawing his kunai again, he stepped back out into the arena while facing the opposing Rider.

"And now, it's my turn," said Blade as he gripped his sword tightly. He let out a battlecry and charged at Tsurugi. He swung his sword at Tsurugi swiftly, aiming for his head.

Tsurugi dove to the side. He knew he needed to get some distance if he was going to get his wind back. He hadn't been expecting Blade to slam him into the wall like he did. He had thought that since the Rider was without his armor he would be an easy victory. He should have listened to Kabuto's Intel after all.

Blade knew that this had to end quickly. If Tsurugi got his wind back then he might be able to get his squeezing attack a second try. Knowing he might not escape it a second time, he reached to his sword and spread out the panels again. This time, he grabbed the Categories 5, 6, and 9. Kick Locust, Thunder Deer, and Mach Jaguar. Taking the cards to his Rouzer, he began slashing them through.

"**Kick! Thunder! Mach!**" The Rouzer called as he slashed the cards through. "**Lightning Sonic!**"

Absorbing the power of the three Rouze Cards, Blade began his charge. He moved so quickly his body was like a blur. Getting in close to Tsurugi, he punched him in the face to make sure he didn't move from his spot. With Tsurugi down for the moment, Blade sped past before coming to a screeching halt. He turned to see Tsurugi getting back up to his feet. Blade didn't speak as he leaped into the air, aiming his foot at his opponent with electric voltage streaking out of it.

"Yaaaaaaahhhhh!" Blade roared as he came back down.

"Huh?" Tsurugi mumbled in punch-drunk confusion as he looked up.

That was all he managed to get out before the Lightning Sonic attack collided with his chest. Screaming in pain from the electric attack, Tsurugi was sent flying backwards before he crashed onto the ground, rolling to a stop. His body was trembling from the electric attack and he was having problems standing. Blade landed easily on his feet watching Tsurugi attempt to stand.

"Proctor, are we done or should we continue?" Blade asked Hayate.

"Depends on applicant Tsurugi," Hayate coughed. "If he wants to continue then he can. Otherwise he has to forfeit."

"I'm not quitting!" Tsurugi spat. He glared venomously at Blade, letting his rubber limbs grow loose again. "I won't lose! I will beat you!"

"Then I have no choice," Blade frowned. Opening his panels, he drew the Category 2: Slash Lizard. However, he also flicked his wrist bringing out two other cards. These were the Category 6: Blizzard Polar and the Category 4: Rapid Pecker. Holding the combination of Spade, Club, and Diamond, he bought them to his Rouzer.

"I'm not letting you try that again!" Tsurugi roared as he lunged, using his rubber legs like coils.

"**Slash! Blizzard! Rapid!**" The Rouzer announced. "**Arctic Slash!**"

Frost traveled down Blade's sword as Tsurugi came with his rubber limbs. Blade gripped his weapon and brought it up. Tsurugi was about to attempt bringing his limbs around Blade's neck. He barely got within an inch before Blade's arms went into an icy blur of white. The assault lasted for a moment before Blade ducked to the side and Tsurugi fell to the ground, unmoving. Hayate walked over and turned the teen over, checking his health. His clothes were torn open with frost covering them while he had dozens of shallow wounds that weren't bleeding. The ice had cauterized them. He wouldn't bleed out, but he would be in a lot of pain.

"Winner by knockout, Kyle Jones," Hayate announced with a cough.

"All right Kyle-nii!" Naruto cheered from the balconies.

Blade looked up at Naruto and gave a thumbs up as he sheathed his sword. Walking away from the battlefield, he pulled at the lever which flipped the panel of his belt buckle over. He drew out his Category Ace of Spades and the blue field shot out from his belt once more. He walked through it and when he exited his armor was gone and he was holding the Blade buckle in his hand.

He knew Orochimaru was watching him, trying to gauge his abilities so Kyle wasn't going to make it easy for the Snake Sannin. He was going to become as unpredictable as possible. By Sakura's suggestion, he'd thought of a number of combos with his 4 suits and was going to keep on thinking up new ones the entire exam.

Kyle could feel Gaara's eyes on him and he also felt the Joker inside of him trying to break free. When he thought about it, his situation was similar to Naruto and Gaara's. He had a demon in him just like them and if he lost all of his cards, he would doom the world. He couldn't let that happen. He was here for a reason and he knew it wasn't to destroy this world. He had to save it.

There were murmurs in the stands regarding Kyle's abilities, his armor and his cards. Even if it was natural for ninjas to have their own unique styles and weapons, what Kyle had was out of this world (if only they knew) and he was pretty powerful. Well, they hadn't seen his Jack, King and Wild Forms yet so they didn't know how powerful he could get. He was going to save King and Wild for more important things but the two Jack Forms he had access to would be used if he got into a tight spot.

He walked up the steps and then joined his team. Naruto punched his arm slightly, grinning. "Kyle-nii, that was awesome!"

"Yeah, guess it was," the foreigner from another world said. "And it's all thanks to Sakura."

"Because I suggested you combine your suits?" Sakura said, feeling proud of herself,

"Yep," Kyle smiled. "I know my Rouzers can activate any of the cards, but I never thought of using them in combination quite like that."

Sakura smiled brightly with a prideful flush on her face. She was glad to have helped out her teammate develop such an important strategy. Maybe he was onto something when he said that she had a head for tactics.

"That's impressive," Kakashi nodded. "But, this isn't the time to get a swelled head."

Pointing up to the board, his team followed his gaze. Her eyes widened as she gasped. Naruto blinked in some surprise. Kyle just took the news in stride, expecting it.

SAKURA HARUNO VS. INO YAMANAKA

* * *

Hinata watched the board and realized that Naruto's female teammate was about to fight. She also knew from her academy days that she had a fierce rivalry with her opponent over Sasuke Uchiha. This impending fight wasn't going to be pretty.

Eyeing Team 7, she gazed longingly at the blonde member. Her heart pounded at being so close to Naruto. If only she could get the courage up to talk to him or something. As Naruto began to turn, she quickly turned her eyes to the ground. Again, she cursed her shyness. She could at least offer some support for his teammate.

As she kept her eyes trained on the ground, she spotted something. It looked like a small card of some sort. Curious, she bent over and picked it up. No one seemed to notice her movement since they were all looking at the upcoming fight between Ino and Sakura, which was beginning. It was a very artful card with two tiger heads in a yin and yang position. The corners had a club symbol with a Q on them and the word 'absorb' was written on the side. A small caption underneath the picture called it Absorb Tiger.

'_It must belong to Naruto-kun's teammate, Kyle,_' Hinata reasoned to herself. She remembered seeing him use cards before he unleashed those odd jutsus. '_I should give it back to him…_' But for some reason there was something about the card that was…alive.

* * *

Gaara watched the fights with little interest. The fight was over between the blond and the pink-haired girl. Both had knocked each other out. At the moment, his sister was about to face off against a girl with her hair tied up in buns.

That didn't interest Gaara at the moment. What did was the strange ninja who used the cards in his attacks. Last time they had met, he had turned into some kind of monster. He managed to disarm his brother and sister without much effort at all. Gaara came to the conclusion that he was some kind of monster too. It gained his interest as to how he could change his form like that.

Shukaku, the one whom Gaara mistook as mother, was acting oddly around that ninja. It was almost as if he was wary of him for some reason. Not downright fear, but like acknowledging that it could be afraid. It was an odd sensation for Gaara, but it was one that he did not like. Still, it was still an interesting feeling. It was close to the sensation called pain that he often wondered about, but never had felt in his life. This strange ninja might be the one.

"Do not worry Mother," Gaara whispered to Shukaku. "I will feed you his blood. We will learn much from it."

Shukaku was pleased at the thought.

* * *

Kyle actually winced as he watched the end of Sakura and Ino's fight. "Ow, double knockout. That has got to hurt." He had a chilling feeling and he glanced at Gaara who was looking at him. That cold, soulless and unblinking stare was just a bit unnerving.

Right now, Ten-Ten was going to fight Gaara's sister. He knew this match well and knew how it would end. Still, he was also wondering how Hinata and Neji's fight was going to be like later. He was fond of the girl and wanted her to win but if he knew the story he knew that she would still lose but would still put up a fight to show everyone how strong she was.

Kakashi and Asuma brought their students up while Temari and Ten-Ten took their spots. Kyle kept his eyes trained on the fight, ready for when Temari would pull her little sore winner stunt on Ten-Ten.

"Begin!" Hayate announced with a wave of his hand

The resulting match was more or less what Kyle had been expecting. Temari was the absolute worst opponent that she could be paired with. Temari was a wind user and had all sorts of techniques which could deflect weapons. Weapons were really the only thing Ten-Ten had best.

In the end, it was just like in the manga. Ten-ten was battered and bloody and resting atop of Temari's fan at an uncomfortable angle. Temari had a triumphant look on her face and both were surrounded by the astonishing amount of weapons that Ten-Ten had used during the course of the match.

"Winner: Temari!" Hayate announced, making the victory official.

"Saw that coming a mile away," muttered Kyle as he sighed.

* * *

The match between Kin and Shikamaru pretty much went like how Kyle had read it in the manga and seen it in the anime. Shikamaru used his family's Bloodline jutsu to take control of his opponent and with a single move won by a knockout. Kyle had to chuckle at the lazy Genin's attitude. He had so much potential but would rather spend his time playing shogi and watching the clouds. He didn't really put much effort into anything unless he had to and it was a life and death situation.

The upcoming match was one Kyle was looking forward to. It was the fight between Kiba and Naruto.

"Hey Naruto," Kyle called as his blonde friend and the dog boy headed for the arena. "Be unpredictable. My advice to you."

"You got it Kyle-nii!" Naruto grinned. "Being unpredictable is my specialty!"

Both ninjas met down in the arena with only Hayate keeping them apart. The sickly ninja eyed them both before he raised his arm, preparing to signal the beginning of the match.

"Seventh match, begin!" Hayate called as he dropped his hand.

In Kyle's opinion, it was a near perfect reenactment of how the battle went in the manga. The only differences were that Naruto was getting up and recovering a little quicker than before. Kyle figured it was either he never saw it happen in real life or his training with Naruto had paid off.

Since coming to live with the hyperactive blonde, Kyle and Naruto had been training together. Often, Kyle would take the form of an Undead and Naruto had to fight against it. The training gave Naruto experience in different kinds of opponents and attacks while it gave Kyle experience in all of his Undead bodies rather than the ones he preferred to use.

One thing that the fight could have changed was Naruto's little fart. Sure it got Kiba's sense out of whack, but it was a rather embarrassing way to stop him. Even so, Kyle supposed that a ninja had to use all the tools allotted to him. Even a fart or two.

"U! Zu! Ma! Ki! Naruto Rendan!" the collected clones of Naruto called as they and the original smashed Kiba into the cold floor.

"And Naruto wins with his signature move," Kyle grinned. "That's our hyperactive nutjob."

Sakura giggled at the friendly teasing. Naruto returned up to the stairs before Hinata cornered him and shyly gave him some healing balm. After finally taking it at Kurenai's urging, Hinata went to her teammate's side so to give him some too. Kyle saw that words were traded between the two. Kiba was warning Hinata to forfeit if she came up against some of the more violent ninjas there.

'_Too bad she's going to meet up against her vengeful cousin,_' Kyle sighed inwardly. Just as he thought of that sentence, two more names appeared on the board.

HINATA HYUUGA VS. NEJI HYUUGA

Kyle frowned. Hinata was going to get hurt in this fight and there was a lot of pressure on her put on by her family, especially her father. He wished he could help her somehow but what could he saw. Fortunately, there was Naruto who knew the right words to say and when to say it.

When Hinata went down to the arena, Kyle could've sworn he saw the ghostly image of the Tiger Undead following the Hyuuga girl. He then watched as the Tiger Undead turned into the familiar form of Hikaru Jo. She smiled as she walked after Hinata. Was it a trick of the light or something? He took out his cards and flipped through them and then he realized one of his cards was gone.

"Oh crap!" he hissed under his breath.

"What is it Kyle-nii?" asked Naruto.

"I…dropped one of the Rouze Cards," Kyle gulped. Sakura, Naruto, and Kakashi were instantly at alert.

"Are you sure?" Sakura gasped. "Do you know which one?"

"Category Queen of Clubs, Absorb Tiger," Kyle answered. "It's the only one missing."

"Any idea where it might be?" asked Kakashi.

"Well, if what I saw is right," Kyle frowned. "I think Hinata might have picked it up."

"Really?" Naruto blinked. "Well, what's the worst that could happen?"

"Oh, I dunno," Kyle hissed. "Maybe if a Jyuuken strike hits the card, it may unseal the Tiger Undead. If Hinata's will isn't strong enough it might possess her!"

"Is that all?" Kakashi asked gravely.

"Well, there is one more," Kyle answered. "There is the chance that the Tiger Undead likes Hinata for some reason. If that happens, she might lend her power to Hinata for this fight."

"Can that happen?" asked Sakura.

"It happened to Inari and the King of Clubs," Kyle answered. "He used its power to take down those two swordsmen. If one kid with a Category King could take down two trained swordsmen, what do you think a trained ninja could do with a Category Queen?"

"Almost nothing good," Kakashi frowned. '_Although, in Hinata's case, it might do her confidence wonders._'

Hinata stood before Neji whose eyes were as cold as ever. Hinata was nervous, really nervous. She wasn't as strong as her cousin but then she felt a warm and strong presence around her and she also heard a faint whisper, "_You have powerful inner strength. Show it to them._"

"I'll only say this once, Hinata-sama," Neji spoke darkly. "Forfeit now. You are far too weak to pursue any further."

Hinata visibly flinched, but the voice began to speak again, '_What crap is this? Who does this guy think he is?_'

Hinata was beginning to get intimidated. One was her own cousin facing her down and now this weird voice speaking to her. At least the voice seemed to be on her side.

"Match eight," Hayate spoke, cutting Neji off from his tirade about fate. "Begin!"

It was a bloodbath from the start. Hinata honestly tried her best, but Neji was obviously light-years ahead of her in terms of skill. Every time she tried to attack, Neji would retaliate with devastating combos. By the time Hinata fell down, it was a miracle she was still conscious and breathing.

"I guess the tiger isn't helping," Sakura frowned sadly.

Neji looked down at Hinata like she was a fly. He wasn't even breathing hard from the attacks that he had used and almost received from Hinata.

"It's over, proctor," Neji announced. "She can't fight anymore."

"Don't stop the match!" Naruto shouted loudly. "She can still fight!"

'_Naruto-kun?_' Hinata thought in shock as she struggled to stand.

"Are you blind?" Neji asked with a snort. "She's finished. Fate has decreed her the loser and I am the victor. She's too weak to amount to anything. She couldn't even hit me once."

'_I have had ENOUGH!!_' the voice in Hinata's mind raged before all went dark.

* * *

Hinata found herself in what looked like a park. Wasn't she fighting Neji a few moments ago? Had she been carted out and placed in the Hyuuga gardens?

"Are you an idiot?" asked a voice and Hinata turned to see a woman who reminded her of Kurenai. She had long black hair with a golden streak and wore a black sleeveless shirt with a yellow vest, black leather pants, gloves and boots. She was sitting at a bench.

"Who are you?" Hinata asked.

The woman stood up and approached the girl, "In this form I am known as Hikaru Jo, but in my true form…" her form blurred and was replaced by a large female beast, "_I am the Tiger Undead!_"

Hinata shrieked and backed away in fear but the Tiger Undead then returned to her human form. "Sheesh, you are one weak human, you know that? No wonder that Neji jerk is beating you."

"I know," Hinata looked down to the ground. "I'm weak."

Hikaru rolled her eyes and bopped Hinata on the head. "Baka! Don't agree with me!" Sighing, Hikaru just looked at Hinata. She reminded her so much of that Mutsuki kid who once used the Leangle system. Both lacked confidence in themselves. They were afraid of going all out against their foes. Mutsuki was at the brink of death before he managed to get the message.

"I'm sorry," Hinata apologized.

"And stop apologizing," Hikaru snapped. "Goodness what am I supposed to do with you? I thought you had potential that's why I'm speaking with you through my card. Guess I was wrong."

"Card?" Hinata then realized it. "Your card!? You mean…"

"I'm the Queen of Clubs, but enough about me," said Hikaru. She placed her hands on Hinata's shoulders. "Look, I knew this human kid awhile back with the same confidence issues. You know what he did? He got stronger and got friends who believed in him. You have those too. Like that loud blond kid you have a crush on."

Hinata blushed.

"And don't deny it because I can smell it," grinned Hikaru. "Now, you don't wanna look weak in front of him, do you?" Hinata shook her head. "You want to show him how strong you can be?" Hinata nodded. "You want to beat that jerk for looking down on you!" Hinata nodded furiously. "Give me an answer! Roar it out! Do you want to be strong?"

"Yes!" Hinata shouted out.

"I can't hear you!"

"YES!"

Hikaru's smile widened as she assumed her true from, "_Then, take my power!"_

* * *

"I AM NOT WEAK!" Hinata roared at the top of her lungs.

The entire hall was silent as all eyes were trained on the rising Hyuuga heiress. Kurenai was completely stunned that shy little Hinata would scream like that. Even Neji himself was caught off guard by her sudden outburst.

Getting to her feet, Hinata looked like she was going to blow a proverbial gasket. Her teeth were clenched and her Byakugan was active, making her look rather intimidating. She was breathing hard, making her look more like a raging animal than anything else.

"All right Hinata!" Naruto grinned. "Show that stuck-up jerk what you're made of!"

"Could you cut it any closer Jo?" Kyle frowned.

Neji immediately took his stoic face again as he squared off against Hinata again, "So you still refuse to accept your fate? Very well, I will show you the error of your ways."

"Don't talk about fate to me you hypocrite!" Hinata hissed. "You fight it more than anyone else I ever met!"

"And how did you come to that conclusion?" Neji frowned.

"By your logic, it is the fate of the Branch House to serve the Main House," Hinata explained. "That means you serve me! By fighting me you are fighting against your supposed fate!"

Neji frowned and activated his eyes again, "Ludicrous."

"You do know I could have used that seal on your head to win without even trying," Hinata continued. "But I am fighting you as a ninja, not as part of the Main Branch. Stop taking out your grudge on the Main Branch on me and just fight!"

"Hmph," Neji snorted. "As you wish."

Hinata got into an unfamiliar stance except to Kyle. He knew that stance. Hikaru Jo used it in her Tiger Undead form. For a second he could see the Tiger Undead superimposing her image over Hinata's, in the same stance with her clawed gauntlet out. It appeared that Hinata was tapping into the Tiger Undead's power.

"Looks like Hinata just grew a backbone," said Sakura.

"No," Kyle disagreed. "She always had it. It just took the right words for her to find it."

"Go, Hinata!" cheered Naruto. "Show him what you can do!"

'_OK, cub_,' Hikaru's voice was heard in Hinata's mind. '_Show this asshole that you hold the heart and spirit of a tiger and not a meek little mouse._'

Hinata quickly made her charge. Neji anticipated the assault and quickly dodged the first swipe, but was quickly caught by surprise as a swipe at his midsection almost got him. Leaning back, he attempted to hit some tenketsu in Hinata's arms, but she twisted around his attack and bashed him in the side, forcing Neji to stumble and try to get his bearings back.

'_What is going on?_' Neji thought angrily. '_Hinata-sama is acting strange. I've never seen her fight like this before!_"

Up in the stands, Kurenai was watching in growing concern for her student, '_Hinata, what happened down there? Were Neji's words really what you needed to come out of your shell?_"

Shino was watching as always, but he had a pretty good idea what was happening. He had spied Hinata picking a card up off the ground. He easily recognized it as one of the cards that Kyle Jones used. He logically must have dropped it on his way back from the match. The only other reason was that he knew of Hinata's confidence problem and dropped that card for her to find. It was less likely, but still a possibility. The results certainly couldn't be argued. Hinata was giving her cousin a fair fight.

Neji recoiled from a punch to the face. Blood trickled from his lip as he frowned angrily. Hinata's sudden burst of strength was beyond his scope to understand. How did she do it? Where did this confidence come from? Fate had deemed that Hinata be a weak coward, but now she was fighting like an animal and giving him a good beating.

That wasn't to say Hinata hadn't taken some damage as well. She had blood dribbling from her mouth and she was breathing hard. Still, it wasn't slowing her down as she continued her raging assaults.

"We are not slaves of fate, Neji-nii," Hinata frowned as she and her cousin faced off against each other again. "Fate is just a word. If you want something, then you have to strive for it!"

"Foolishness," Neji retorted. "Idealistic words of a fool. Fate is inescapable. I learned that lesson after I lost my father and that incident with the Kumo-nins."

"We choose our own fates, Neji-nii, just like you are doing right now. But, if you don't believe me then I guess I have to beat you to show you!" Hinata roared before she dashed straight for Neji.

'_OK, cub! Now show this asshole what you are really capable of!_' shouted out Hikaru.

Kyle smiled knowingly. '_So, the Tiger Undead is really sharing her strength in Hinata. I wonder why. Guess she sees something like when she used to be friends with Mutsuki_.'

Hinata unleashed strike after strike at Neji. She tore up his shirt and left scratches on his face. Neji was retaliating with blows to the arms and torso, making blood dribble out of her mouth and her arms grow numb. Hinata didn't relent though. She was a woman on a mission and she was determined to see it through.

'_Best to end it now cub!_' Hikaro advised. '_Otherwise we're never going to get through his thick skull._'

Mentally nodding, Hinata began another charge. Neji took another Jyuuken stance as he prepared for retaliation. He was through with playing nice. Hinata wanted him to treat her like a ninja? Fine. He would put her down in the next blow. Hinata dashed closer and reared back her fist. Neji immediately saw his opportunity and lunged to hit a point in her chest.

"It's over!" Neji shouted.

Hinata looked like she was going to get hit, but suddenly it was like her body shifted like rubber. In truth, she twisted on her leg to dodge the assault. Clenching her fist, she unleashed a terrible uppercut at her cousin.

KRACK!!

Neji's head snapped back as his feet actually left the ground. His body hung in the air before he landed in a heap on the floor. Blood trickled from the side of his mouth and he wasn't moving. Hayate walked over to the Branch House member and checked him. After a moment, he stood up and raised his arm.

"Winner: Hinata!" he announced.

"YATTA!!!" Naruto cheered as he threw his fists into the air. "YOU DID IT, HINATA!"

Hinata flushed as she heard Naruto cheering for her but then turned her attention back to her defeated cousin. She walked over to Neji and knelt down. He was breathing heavily and opening his eyes in a glare at Hinata.

"Just because its fate doesn't mean it can't be changed and it doesn't mean we can't control it," Hinata spoke softly. "You of all people should know that."

Neji's glare softened for a moment before the medic-nins reached him and placed him on a stretcher. Hinata watched as he was taken away before turning to the balconies where the other people were waiting.

"You rock Hinata!" Naruto cheered as he dashed over to meet her. "Way to show that jerk what you're made of!"

Hinata flushed happily, being too tired to think about being shy. As it was, she smiled and nodded her thanks. Walking forward, she was met by Kurenai, who had a pleased smile on her face.

"That was very impressive Hinata," she smiled. "You really have changed."

"I agree," Shino nodded stoically. "You should be proud of yourself."

"I am," Hinata nodded, sounding very tired. Looking to Team 7, she strode over to the group with their one-eyed teacher. "Um…Jones-san?"

"Yes?" Kyle asked expectantly.

"I found something I think belongs to you," Hinata answered before she pulled the Absorb Tiger out of her pocket. "Arigatou."

"I wasn't the one who helped you though," Kyle chuckled while he took back the card. "But I'll send Hikaru your regards."

Hinata smiled.

"Who's Hikaru?" asked Sakura, confused.

"Oh, the Undead in this card," Kyle explained. "A very honorable warrior."

* * *

The following matches went as expected. Lee was pulverized by Gaara but not before giving the boy from Suna a solid thrashing. Kyle was sorely tempted to use the Recover Camel to help Lee's injuries, but he didn't know if that Undead could heal a person rather than itself. With that doubt, he let the medics take Lee for their own healing methods. After Tsunade returned, they could get Lee treated properly.

Chouji's match with Dosu didn't go any better. He tried his body expansion techniques, but Dosu managed to defeat them. Since the human body was mostly composed of water, Dosu's sound waves did major damage to his internal organs. It was only one attack, but it was all Dosu needed to take down Chouji.

Hayate watched the Akamichi heir being taken out by medics before he took the stage again, "With the conclusion of this match, the preliminaries for the third exam are hereby complete!"

"Yahoo!" Naruto cheered. It was a sentiment that Kyle silently agreed it.

All of the winners were brought back down and stood in front of Ibiki, Hayate, Anko, and the Hokage. Only Sasuke was missing since he was kept under watch by the ANBU while he recovered from the cursed seal.

"To all of you who won the right to take part in the third test," Hayate coughed. "Congratulations. Hokage-sama will now speak to you."

Nodding to the aged leader, Sarutobi stepped forward with his pipe hanging from his mouth. He took in the sight of all the tired and dirty shinobi in front of him before he started talking.

"As I stated before, the finals will be viewed by everyone. Each of you will be representing the strengths of your villages. As such I would like for all of you to show off your powers without restraint," Sarutobi explained. "That is why the finals will be held one month from now."

"You mean we're not doing it right here, right now?" asked Naruto with no small amount of confusion.

"This break will be used for preparations," Sarutobi clarified. "To be precise, while we will be notifying various country lords and the proper heads of villages, this will also allow you to gather intelligence on your opponents and develop strategies."

"I guess knowledge is power," said Kyle. "A lot is at stake here. And it gives me time to train."

"Precisely," Sarutobi nodded. "Now, Anko will be passing around a box which you will draw lots so to see who your opponent is next."

"Right," Anko nodded, producing a box from her trench coat. "I'll come to you. Make sure to only draw one!"

Anko walked over to one end of the line of ninja and held out the box. Since Dosu was first, he drew the first lot. As he was finished, Anko moved down to the next in line. One after the other went and eventually Kyle got his turn.

"Just one," Anko warned.

"I heard you the first time," Kyle sighed as he reached into the box. Grabbing the first slip he touched, he pulled it out. Opening the piece, he found the number five scribbled on it.

"Now that you have all drawn a number," Sarutobi continued. "You will reveal what number you have drawn. Ibiki will then determine who will face who in the final exam."

One by one, the finalists revealed their numbers. Ibiki took a look at all of them before scribbling on a piece of paper. After a moment, he revealed it all to the contestants.

NARUTO UZUMAKI VS. KANKURO OF THE DESERT

HINATA HYUUGA VS. SHIKAMARU NARA

KYLE JONES VS. SHINO ABURAME

TEMARI OF THE DESERT VS. DOSU KINUTA

SASUKE UCHIHA VS. GAARA OF THE DESERT

Kyle blinked and glanced at Shino. This would be an interesting match. A boy who uses bugs and a boy who used armor based on bugs. How poetic.

"And now," Sarutobi spoke. "I wish you all luck in the matches in the future. We will meet together in one month so that we may complete the Chunin examinations!"

Kyle grinned at the announcement. Now he had one month and counting until the third exam began. Plenty of time to prepare himself for what was to come.

Orochimaru wasn't going to get his way.

To Be Continued...

A/N: Well, the preliminaries have ended. Kyle is heading to his finals. I'll reveal the fate of his clone in the next chapter.


End file.
